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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


< 


X 


THE 

TRAPPER'S    GrUIDE; 

A 

MANUAL    OF    INSTRUCTIONS 

FOB 

CAPTURING  ALL  KINDS  OF  FUR-BEARING   ANIMALS,  AND 

CURING  THEIR  SKINS;  WITH  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE 

FUR-TRADE,  HINTS  ON  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS, 

AND  NARRATIVES  OF  TRAPPING  AND 

HUNTING  EXCURSIONS. 


BY    S.    NEWHOUSE, 

AND     OTHER    TKAPPER8    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


THIRD    EDITION. 


EDITED    BY  THE    O^EIDA    COMMUNITY. 


NEW    YORK: 

OAKLEY,    MASON    &    CO., 
No.    21    MURRAY    ST. 

1869. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tJie  year  1865,  by 

J.   H.   NOTES, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Distiict  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 
PAGE  7—12. 

Connection  of  Trapping  with  other  Trades,  8.    Observations  on  the  Pur 
Trade,  9.    Season  for  Trapping,  10.    Statistics  of  the  Fur  Trade,  11. 

THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 
PAGE  13—94. 

I.  PRELIMINARIES,  13—20.    The  Dead-fall,  13.    Poisoning,  14.    Shoot- 
ing,  14.    Steel  Traps,  15.    Requisites  of  a  good  Trap,  15.    The  Spring- 
pole,  17.     The  Sliding-pole,  18.     The  Clog,  18.     Rule  for  Baiting,  19. 
Proper  Outfit  of  Traps,  20.    Profits  of  Trapping,  20. 

II.  CAPTURE  OP  ANIMALS,  21—78.     The  Muskrat,  21.    The  Mink,  23. 
The  Marten,  25.    The  Sable,  26.    The  Ermine,  28.    The  Fisher,  30.    The 
Fox,  32.    The  Otter,  35.    The  Sea  Otter,  41.    The  Beaver,  42.    The  Wolf, 
47.    The  Bear,  48.    The  Raccoon,  50.    The  Badger,  51.    The  Wild  Cat  or 
Bay  Lynx,  53.    The  Lynx,  56.    The  Cougar,  58.    The  Jaguar,  59.    The 
Lion,  81.    The  Tiger,  62.    The  Wolverine,  66.    The  Opossum,  67.    The 
Skunk,  67.    The  Coypu  Rat,  70.    The  Chinchilla,  71.    The  Squirrel,  71 
The  Woodchuck  or  Marmot,  72.    The  Gopher,  72.    The  Rat,  74.    The 
Deer,  74.    The  Moose,  77. 

III.  CURING  SKINS,  79—83.    General  Rules,  79.    Stretching  Skins,  80. 
Board  Stretcher,  80.     Muskrat  Stretcher,  81.    Bow  Stretcher,  82.    Hoop 
Stretcher,  82. 

IV.  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS,  84—94.    Outfit  for  a  Campaign  on  Foot,  84. 
Outfit  for  an  Excursion  by  Wagon  or  Boat,  86.    Tent,  87.    Stove  and  Fur- 
niture, 87.    Bed  and  Bedding,  88.    Camp  Chest,  89.    Cooking,  89.    Jerked 
Meat,  91.    Preparations  against  Insects,  91.    Shanty,  92.    Trapping  Lines, 
92.    Conclusion,  93. 

THE  TRAPPER'S  FOOD. 
PAGE  95—107. 

The  Deer,  95.  The  Buffalo,  96.  The  Rocky  Mountain  Sheep  or  Big- 
horn, 98.  The  Argali,  99.  The  Prong-horn  Antelope,  100.  Squirrel 
Hunting,  101.  The  Ruffled  Grouse,  101.  Pinnated  Grouse,  102.  Sharp- 
tail  Grouse,  103.  Cock  of  the  Plains,  103.  Dusky  Grouse,  104.  Canada 
or  Spruce  Grouse,  104  White-tailed  Ptarmigan,  105.  Willow  Ptarmi- 
gan, 105.  European  Grouse,  107.  Water  Fowl,  107. 


M£      :"3 


4  CONTENTS. 

FISHING  IN  AUTUMN  AND  WINTER 
PAGE  108—110. 

Spearing  Fish,  108.    Fishing  through  the  Ice,  109.    Net-fishing  in  Win- 
ter,  109. 


NOTES  ON  TRAPPING  AND  WOOD-CRAFT.    By  F.  R,  p.  Ill — 121. 

PLAN  OP  A  TRAPPING  CAMPAIGN.    By  PETER  M.  GUNTER,  p.  122—125. 

BOAT-BUILDING,  p.  126—129. 

SNOW-SHOES,  p.  130. 

OIL  FOR  FIRE-ARMS,  p.  130. 

NAEKATIVES. 
PAGE  131—205. 

AN  EVENING  WITH  AN  OLD  TRAPPER,  131 — 137.  A  YOUNG  TRAPPER'S 
EXPERIENCE,  138—142.  THE  DEER  HUNT,  143—145.  MUSKRAT  HUNT- 
ING, 146 — 158.  AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS,  159 — 174.  TRAV 
ELLING  IN  A  CIRCLE,  175—180.  AN  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN 
HILLS,  p.  181—205. 

APPENDIX. 

PAGE  206—216. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP,  206—212.  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE 
NEWHOUSE  TRAP,  213—215.  CONCLUSION,  216. 


FULL  PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Portrait  of  S.  Newhouse, Frontispiece. 

The  Muskrat, opposite  page    21 

The  Mink, "  "  23 

The  Marten, "  "  2& 

The  Sable, "  "  26 

The  Fisher, "  "  30 

The  Red  Fox, "  "  33 

The  Otter, : "  "  35 

The  Beaver, "  "  43 

The  Wolf, -  "  47 

The  Grizzly  Bear, "  "  48 

The  Raccoon, "  "  50 

The  Badger, "  "  53 

The  Wild  Cat, "  "  54 

The  Lynx, "  "  56 

The  Cougar, "  "  58 

The  Opossum, *  "  67 

The  Skunk "  "  68 

The  Coypu  Rat, "  "  70 

The  Chinchilla, -  "  71 

The  Woodchuck, "  "  72 

The  Rat, "  "  74 

Family  of  Deer, "  "  76 

MooseYard, «  "  78 

Mr.  Newhouse's  Tent  and  Stove, "  "  84 

Log  Shanty, "  "  93 

Deer  Breaking  Cover, "  "  95 

The  RuflFed  Grouse, "  "  101 

The  Wild  Goose "  "  107 

Canoes, "  "  126 

Snow-Shoes  and  mode  of  wearing  them, "  "  130 

Community  Works,  Willow  Place,  Oneida,  N.  Y., "  "  206 


ILLUSTRATIONS  IN   THE   TEXT. 

The  Otter  Slide,  page  37.  The  Claw  Trap,  37.  The  Deer  Trap,  76. 
Board  Stretcher,  80.  Muskrat  Stretcher,  81.  Shelter  Tent,  85.  Various 
sizes  of  the  Newhouse  Trap,  213-215. 


INTRODUCTION. 

BY  THE  EDITORS 


THIS  book  was  not  originally  designed  for  amateur  sports^ 
men  or  for  the  reading  public  generally,  but  for  practical 
workingmen  who  make  or  propose  to  make  trapping  a  means 
of  livelihood.  The  plan  of  it  was  suggested  by  a  business 
necessity  in  the  following  manner : 

Mr.  S.  Newhouse,  a  member  of  the  Oneida  Community, 
having  become  widely  known  as  the  maker  of  an  excellent 
kind  of  steel-traps,  and  it  being  generally  understood  that  the 
practical  perfection  of  his  traps  is  owing  to  the  wisdom  in 
wood-craft  which  he  gained  in  early  life  by  actual  experience 
in  trapping,  he  has  often  been  applied  to  by  his  customers  and 
others  for  information  in  regard  to  the  best  methods  of  capt- 
uring various  animals.  The  most  convenient  way  to  answer 
such  applications  seemed  to  be  to  put  his  wisdom  in  print,  and 
let  it  go  abroad  with  his  traps.  In  preparing  for  publication 
the  material  furnished  by  Mr.  Newhouse  for  this  purpose,  the 
editors  found  new  facts,  inquiries,  and  written  contributions 
relating  to  trapping  and  kindred  pursuits  crowding  upon 
them,  till  the  original  idea  of  a  small  technical  pamphlet 
swelled  to  the  dimensions  of  the  present  work.  The  objects 
which  they  have  finally  aimed  at  have  been,  on  the  one  hand, 
to  furnish  all  the  information  needed  in  order  to  qualify  a 
mere  novice  in  trapping  to  enter  upon  the  business  intelli- 
gently and  successfully ;  and  on  the  other,  to  make  an  inter- 
esting book  for  all  lovers  of  wood-craft,  and  for  the  reading 
public  at  large. 

The  character  of  the  work,  however,  will  be  found  to  be 


8  INTRODUCTION". 

mainly  in  accordance  with  its  original  practical  design ;  and  it 
might  properly  be  dedicated  to  poor  men  who  are  looking  out 
for  pleasant  work  and  ways  of  making  money ;  and  especially 
to  the  pioneers  of  settlement  and  civilization  in  all  parts  of  the 
world; 

As  honesty  is  always  good  policy,  it  is  best  also  to  confess 
here  that  the  author  and  editors  of  this  work  are  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  business  of  making  steel-traps,  and  have 
an  eye  to  their  own  interests,  as  well  as  to  the  interests  of 
others,  in  this  effort  to  help  the  business  of  trapping. 

And  here  perhaps  is  the  place  to  say  something  of  the 
mutual  relations  of  the  several  trades  immediately  concerned 
in  the  subject  of  this  book,  and  of  their  importance  in  the 
machinery  of  universal  business. 

CONNECTION    OF    TRAPPING    WITH    OTHER    TRADES. 

Trapping,  in  the  business  series,  is  the  intermediate  link 
between  trap- making  and  the  fur-trade.  The  trapper  buys 
of  the  trap-maker  and  sells  to  the  fur-dealer.  The  first 
furnishes  him  with  weapons,  and  the  second  buys  his  spoils. 
Through  the  first,  he  is  related  to  the  manufacturers  and 
merchants  of  iron  and  steel,  who  furnish  materials  for  his 
traps,  and  to  the  hardware  men  who  bring  them  to  his  door. 
Through  the  second,  he  connects  with  the  fur-manufacturer, 
the  hatter,  and  the  clothes  dealer,  and  sends  supplies  of  com- 
fort and  luxury  to  the  world  of  wealth  and  fashion. 

Trapping  and  trap-making  are  directly  subservient  to  the 
fur-trade.  They  may  be  said  to  be  branches  of  it,  or  even  to 
be  its  foundations.  The  fur-business  expands  as  they  pros- 
per, and,  vice  versa,  they  prosper  as  the  fur-business  expands. 
The  trapper  and  trap-maker  watch  the  prices  of  furs,  as  the 
sailor  watches  the  winds  and  the  .currents.  When  furs  are 
high,  trapping  becomes  active,  and  the  trap-maker  has  his 
hands  full  of  business.  When  furs  are  low,  trapping  declines, 
and  the  trap-maker  has  to  dismiss  his  workmen. 

The  importance  of  the  subservient  trades,  trapping  and 
trap-making,  can  best  be  judged  by  looking  at  the  statistics 
of  the  great  fur-market  for  which  they  work.  The  fur-trade, 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

everybody  knows,  is  an  immense  business.  The  making  of 
the  weapons  and  the  fighting  may  be  out  of  sight,  but  the 
spoils  of  the  war  are  seen  by  all.  Many  a  colossal  fortune, 
like  John  Jacob  Astor's,  has  been  founded  on  peltry;  and 
many  a  frontier  city,  like  St.  Paul's,  has  been  built  up  by  the 
traffic  that  originates  in  the  enterprise  of  the  trapper  and  trap- 
maker. 

OBSERVATIONS    ON    THE    FUR-TRADE. 

The  following  statements  are  made  on  the  authority  of 
members  of  large  fur-dealing  firms  in  the  city  of  New  York* 

The  yearly  production  of  raw  furs  in  the  whole  world  is 
worth  from  seventeen  to  twenty  millions  of  dollars,  and  the 
whole  amount  of  the  fur-trade,  including  manufactured  goods, 
reaches  a  value  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  millions. 

The  whole  number  of  Muskrat  skins  alone,  taken  annually, 
is  estimated  at  five  or  six  millions  ;  of  which  three  millions 
are  used  in  Germany. 

Raw  furs  are  divided  by  American  dealers  into  two  classes, 
viz.,  shipping  furs,  i.  e.  furs  that  are  to  be  sent  abroad ;  and 
home  furs,  or  furs  for  use  in  this  country.  The  leading  arti- 
cles among  shipping  furs  are  the  Silver,  Red  and  Cross  Fox, 
Raccoon,  Fisher,  Wildcat  and  Skunk.  Among  home  furs  are 
the  Mink,  Opossum,  House  Cat,  Wolf,  and  Marten.  The 
Muskrat  and  other  furs  are  classified  under  both  heads. 

Prices  for  shipping  furs  are  regulated  by  the  foreign  de- 
mand. 

The  great  fur-marts  in  Europe,  are  London,  Leipsic,  and 
Nijni  Novgorod.  At  these  points  semi-annual  sales  (or  fairs  as 
they  are  termed),  take  place.  The  spring  sales  are  most 
important.  Here  the  representatives  of  the  leading  fur-houses 
from  all  parts  of  Europe  meet  to  make  their  purchases  during 
the  months  of  March,  April,  and  May. 

The  fur-trade  of  Leipsic  is  estimated  at  six  and  a  half  mill- 
ions of  dollars  annually. 

Raccoon  fur  is  the  great  staple  for  Russia ;  Red  Fox  for 
Turkey  and  the  oriental  countries  ;  Skunk  for  Poland  and 
the  adjacent  provinces ;  Muskrat  for  Germany,  France,  and 
England. 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

New  York  is  the  great  fur-mart  in  this  country,  and  is  the 
main  depot  of  the  shipping  trade.  There  are  no  organized 
fur-companies  at  the  present  time.  The  business  is  carried 
on  by  private  firms  of  large  means  and  long  experience.  The 
New  York  Directory  gives  the  names  of  more  than  one  hun- 
dred furriers  and  fur-merchants,  thirty  of  whom  are  wholesale 
dealers. 

The  leading  fashionable  fur  for  this  country  is  the  Mink  ; 
but  the  furs  that  are  within  the  reach  of  the  masses,  and  most 
worn,  are  the  Muskrat  and  the  Opossum. 

The  wearing  of  furs  in  this  country  is  very  little  affected  by 
climate,  but  is  regulated  almost  entirely  by  fashion.  In  Eu- 
rope, on  the  other  hand,  the  state  of  the  elements  determines 
the  extent  of  the  call  for  furs  as  articles  of  clothing.  Hence, 
notwithstanding  the  winters  on  both  continents  are  growing 
milder,  the  demand  for  furs  is  continually  increasing  in  this 
country,  while  in  Europe  it  is  falling  off. 

The  more  thickly  settled  parts  of  the  United  States  show 
a  large  decrease  in  the  "  catch  "  of  furs  ;  but  new  territories 
are  continually  opening  to  the  trapper ;  and  though  he  moves 
from  year  to  year  farther  north  and  west,  the  supply  steadily 
keeps  pace  with  the  demand. 

SEASON    FOR   TRAPPING. 

All  furs  are  best  in  winter ;  but  trapping  may  be  carried 
on  to  advantage  for  at  least  six  months  in  the  year,  i.  e.  any 
time  between  the  first  of  October  and  the  middle  of  April. 
There  is  a  period  in  the  warm  season,  say  from  the  first  of 
May  to  the  middle  of  September,  when  trapping  is  out  of  the 
question,  as  furs  are  worthless.  The  most  trapping  is  done 
late  in  the  fall  and  early  in  the  spring. 

The  reason  why  furs  become  worthless  in  summer  is,  that 
all  fur-bearing  animals  shed  their  coats,  or  at  least  lose  the 
finest  and  thickest  part  of  their  fur  as  warm  weather  ap- 
proaches ;  and  have  a  new  growth  of  it  in  the  fall  to  protect 
them  in  winter.  This  whole  process  is  indicated  in  the  case 
of  the  Muskrat,  and  some  other  animals,  by  the  color  of  the 
inside  part  of  the  skin.  As  summer  approaches,  it  becomes 


INTRODUCTION. 


11 


brown  and  dark.  That  is  a  sign  that  the  best  far  is  gone. 
Afterwards  it  grows  light-colored,  and  in-  winter  when  the 
fur  is  in  the  best  condition  it  is  altogether  white.  When  the 
pelt  is  white  it  is  called  prime  by  the  fur-dealers.  The  fur 
is  then  glossy,  thick,  and  of  the  richest  color,  and  the  tails  of 
such  animals  as  the  Mink,  Marten,  and  Fisher  are  full  and 
heavy.  Beavers  and  Muskrats  are  not  thoroughly  prime  till 
about  the  middle  of  winter.  Other  animals  are  prime  about 
the  first  of  November.  There  is  probably  some  variation 
with  the  latitude,  of  the  exact  period  at  which  furs  become 
prime,  the  more  northern  being  a  little  in  advance.  Trappers 
are  liable  to  begin  trapping  too  early  in  the  season,  conse- 
quently much  poor  fur  is  caught,  which  must  be  sold  at  low 
prices,  and  is  unprofitable  to  the  trapper,  the  fur-buyer  and 
the  manufacturer. 

STATISTICS    OF    THE    FUR-TRADE. 

The  following  estimates  of  the  annual  production  of  all 
the  fur  countries  in  the  world,  were  given  in  a  volume  on 
the  fur-trade,  published  in  1864,  by  Heinrich  Lomer,  one 
of  the  principal  fur-dealers  of  Leipzic.  The  total  value  is 
somewhat  less  than  we  have  given  on  a  previous  page  and  is 
probably  within  the  truth. 

YEARLY    PRODUCTION    OP    FURS    THROUGHOUT    THE    WORLD. 


il 

| 

£  • 

A 

L 

J 

Names  of  Fun. 

a 

1 

£5 

£§1 

H 

e"^ 
<l 

| 

i 

a 

iu 

ill 

i 

3 

1 

Sable        .... 

109000 

130  000 

6  000 

245  000 

2  500  000 

Mink 

''00  000 

65  000 

i^'ooo 

'700*000 

Pine  Marten 
Stone  Marten 
Fitch  .     .     . 
Kolinsky  or  Tartar  ) 
Marten    .     .     .      ) 

80,000 

120,000 
250,000 
380,000 

60,000 
150,000 
220,000 

180,000 
400,000 
600,000 

80,000 

840,000 
1,450,000 
600,000 

80,000 

Ermine    . 
Squirrels 
Muskrat  . 
German  Marmot 
Chinchillas 
Silver  Fox 

350,000 
G.OdO.OOO 
150,000 

500 

200,000 

2,850,000 

*100,000 
1,500 

50,000 
1,000,000 

400,000 
7,000.000 
3,000,000 
200,000 
100,000 
2,000 

100,000 
1,000,000 
1,000,000 
2,000 
80,000 
200,000 

Cross  Fox 
Blue  Fox 
White  Fox 
Red  Fox  . 

5,600 

64,000 
46,000 

140,000 

4,300 

8,000 
60,000 

100 
6,500 
23,000 
85,000 

10,000 
6,500 
85,000 
830,000 

77,000 
60.000 
85,000 
700,000 

12 


INTRODUCTION. 


YEARLY  PRODUCTION  OF  FURS  THROUGHOUT  THE  WORLD.  —  (Continued.) 


Names  of  Fun. 

s 

w 

1 

North  America 
and  South  Amer-' 
ica. 

I* 

£gii 

&i 

111 

, 

Value  in  Thalen. 

Grav  Fox     .... 
Kit'Fox    

30000 

25,000 
10,000 

25,000 
40000 

25,000 
40  000 

600,000 

600  000 

600  000 

Fisher  or  Pekan    .     . 

12,500 
100000 

12,500 
100  000 

loo'.ooo 

80  000 

Opossum      .... 
Marmot  or  Wood-  ) 
chuck  ....    / 
Bears  

40,000 
1  700 

6,000 

260,000 
6,000 
15,000 

*30,000 
5,000 
2300 

280,000 
65,000 
19  000 

80,000 
11,050 
195  000 

16000 

26000 

9  000 

50*000 

176  000 

Wolf 

6*000 

500 

12500 

6  000 

25*000 

40  000 

Buffalo    

60,000 

60  000 

480*000 

Wolverene   .... 
Badger    

300 

30,000 

2,500 
2,000 

700 
23000 

3*500 
55  000 

10,600 
41  000 

Beaver     

30000 

130000 

160  000 

675000 

Sea-Otter     .... 
Otter 

1,200 
4  000 

12000 

300 
20  000 

9  000 

1*500 
45  000 

200,*000 

Of)K  (VV\ 

Fur-Seals     .... 
Seal 

25'000 
130000 

20  000 

*30,000 
(    20,000 

330  000 

55,000 
1  000  000 

280,000 
1  000  000 

Coypu 

)  500,000 
*3  000  000 

3  000  000 

400  000 

Hares  

2000000 

1  300,000 

1200000 

4  500  000 

1  030  000 

Rabbits   . 

4420,000 

580,000 

5*000  000 

'goo  ooo 

Cat 

250000 

500  000 

45  000 

205  000 

I'ooo'ooo 

235  000 

Lambskins  . 
Monkey   
Lion  and  Tiger     .    . 

?oo'ooo 

2,000,000 

*40,000 
*600 

330,000 

3,030,000 
40,000 
500 

1,325.000 
50.000 
5,000 

32,050,500 

17,456,6601 

t  Value  in  American  coin,  $12,724,152.50. 

In  the  above  table  the  numbers  marked  with  an  *  are  the  products  of  South 
America,  Southern  Asia,  Africa,  Australia,  the  islands  adjacent  to  these  countries, 
and  the  South  Sea  Islands. 


THE    TRAPPER'S   ART. 

BY   S.  NEWHOUSE. 

I.   PRELIMINARIES. 

WILD  animals  are  taken  for  various  reasons  besides  the 
value  of  their  furs.  Some  are  sought  as  articles  of  food ; 
others  are  destroyed  as  nuisances.  In  these  cases  the  meth- 
ods of  capture  are  not  essential.  Animals  that  are  valuable 
for  food  may  be  run  down  by  dogs,  or  shot  by  the  rifle  or 
fowling-piece ;  and  nuisances  may  be  destroyed  by  poison. 
But  for  the  capture  of  fur-bearing  animals,  there  is  but  one 
profitable  method,  namely,  by  steel-traps.  Other  methods 
were  much  used  by  trappers  in  old  times,  before  good  steel- 
traps  were  made ;  and  are  still  used  in  semi-barbarous  coun- 
tries, where  steel-traps  are  unknown,  or  cannot  be  had.  I 
will  briefly  mention  two  or  three  of  these  methods,  and  the 
objections  to  them,  and  after  that  give  my  views  of  the  true 
method. 

THE    DEAD-FALL. 

This  is  a  clumsy  contrivance  for  killing  animals,  which  can 
be  made  anywhere,  with  an  axe  and  hard  work.  It  con- 
sists of  two  large  poles  (or  logs  when  set  for  bears  and  other 
large  animals),  placed  one  over  the  other  and  kept  in  place  by 
four  stakes,  two  on  each  side.  The  upper  pole  is  raised  at 
one  end  high  enough  above  the  lower  to  admit  the  entrance 
of  the  animal,  and  is  kept  up  in  that  position  by  the  familiar 
contrivance  of  the  stick  and  spindle,  or  "  figure  four."  A 
tight  pen  is  made  with  sticks,  brush,  &c.,  on  one  side  of  this 
structure,  at  right  angles  to  it,  and  the  spindle  projects  ob- 


14  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

liquely  into  this  pen,  so  that  the  bait  attached  to  it  is  about 
eight  inches  beyond  the  side  of  the  poles.  The  animal,  to 
reach  the  bait,  has  to  place  his  body  between  the  poles  and  at 
right  angles  to  them,  and  on  pullfng  the  spindle,  springs  the 
44  figure  four,"  and  is  crushed. 

The  objections  to  this  contrivance  are,  first,  that  it  takes  a 
long  time  to  make  and  set  one,  thus  wasting  the  trapper's 
time  ;  and  second,  that  animals  caught  in  this  way  lie  exposed 
to  the  voracity  of  other  animals,  and  are  often  torn  in  pieces 
before  the  trapper  reaches  them,  which  is  not  the  case  when 
animals  are  caught  in  steel-traps,  properly  set,  as  will  be  shown 
hereafter.  Moreover,  the  dead-fall  is  very  uncertain  in  its 
operation,  and  woodsmen  who  have  become  accustomed  to 
good  steel-traps,  call  it  a  44  miserable  toggle,"  not  worth  bait- 
ing when  they  find  one  ready  made  in  the  woods. 

POISONING. 

Animals  are  sometimes  poisoned  with  strychnine.  I  have 
myself  taken  foxes  in  this  way.  I  used  about  as  much  strych- 
nine as  would  be  contained  in  a  percussion-cap,  inclosed  firmly 
in  a  piece  of  tallow  as  large  as  a  chestnut,  and  left  on  the 
fox's  bed.  After  swallowing  such  a  dose,  they  rarely  go  more 
than  three  or  four  rods  before  they  drop  dead. 

The  objection  to  this  method  is,  that  it  spoils  the  skin. 
Furriers  say  that  the  poison  spreads  through  the  whole  body 
of  the  animal,  and  kills  the  life  of  the  fur,  so  that  they  can- 
not work  it  profitably.  Poison  is  used  very  little  by  woods- 
men at  the  present  time. 

SHOOTING. 

This  method  of  killing  fur-bearing  animals,  is  still  quite 
prevalent  in  some  countries.-  It  is  said  to  be  the  principal 
method  in  Russia,  and  is  not  altogether  disused  in  this  coun- 
try. But  it  is  a  very  wasteful  method.  Fur-dealers  and 
manufacturers  consider  skins  that  have  been  shot,  especially 
by  the  fowling-piece,  as  hardly  worth  working.  The  holes 
that  are  made  in  the  skin,  whether  by  shot  or  bullets,  are  but 
a  small  part  of  the  damage  done  to  it.  The  shot  that  enter 


PRELIMINARIES.  15 

the  body  of  the  animal  directly,  are  almost  harmless  compared 
with  those  that  strike  it  obliquely,  or  graze  across  it.  Every 
one  of  these  grazing  shot,  however  small,  cuts  a  furrow  in  the 
fur,  sometimes  several  inches  in  length,  shaving  every  hair  in 
its  course  as  with  a  razor.  Slits  in  the  skin  have  to  be  cut  out 
to  the  full  extent  of  these  furrows,  and  closed  up  or  new  pieces 
fitted  in.  Hence  when  the  hunter  brings  his  stock  of  skins 
to  the  experienced  furrier,  he  is  generally  saluted  with  the 
question,  u  Are  your  furs  shot,  or  trapped  ?  "  and  if  he  has 
to  answer,  "  They  were  shot,"  he  finds  the  dealer  quite  indif- 
ferent about  buying  them  at  any  price.  The  introduction  of 
good  steel-traps  into  Russia  would  probably  add  millions  of 
dollars  annually  to  the  value  of  the  furs  taken  in  that  vast 
territory. 

STEEL-TRAPS. 

The  experience  of  modern  trappers,  after  trying  all  other 
methods,  and  all  kinds  of  new-fashioned  traps,  has  led  them 
almost  unanimously  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  old  steel-trap, 
when  scientifically  and  faithfully  made,  is  the  surest  and  most 
economical  means  of  capturing  fur-bearing  animals.  Some 
of  the  reasons  for  this  conclusion  are  these:  Steel-traps  can 
be  easily  transported ;  can  be  set  in  all  situations  on  land  or 
under  water ;  can  be  easily  concealed  ;  can  be  tended  in  great 
numbers  ;  can  be  combined  by  means  of  chain  and  ring  with 
a  variety  of  contrivances  (hereafter  to  be  described)  for  se- 
curing the  animal  caught  from  destruction  by  other  animals, 
and  from  escape  by  self-amputation  ;  and  above  all,  the  steel- 
trap  does  no  injury  to  the  fur. 

And  here  I  think  it  my  duty  as  a  true  friend  to  tho  trapper, 
to  give  him  the  benefit  of  my  experience  and  study  in  regard 
to  the  form  and  qualities  of  a  good  steel-trap,  that  he  may  be 
able  to  judge  and  choose  the  weapons  of  his  warfare  intelli- 
gently. 

REQUISITES    OF   A    GOOD   TRAP. 

The  various  sizes  of  traps  adapted  to  different  kinds  of 
animals,  of  course  require  different  forms  and  qualities,  which 
will  be  spoken  of  in  the  proper  places  hereafter.  But  several 
of  the  essentials  are  the  same  in  all  good  traps. 


16  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

1.  TJiejaws  should  not  be  too  thin  and  sharp-cornered.   Jaws 
made  of  sheet-iron,  or  of  plates  approaching  to  the  thinness 
of  sheet-iron,   and  having  sharp  edges,  or,  still  worse,  sharp 
teeth,  will  almost  cut  off  an  animal's  leg  by  the  bare  force  of 
the  spring,  if  it  is  a  strong  one,  and  will  always  materially 
help  an  animal  to  gnaw  or  twist  off  his  leg.     And  it  should  be 
known,  that  nearly  all  the  animals  that  escape,  get  away  by 
self-amputation. 

2.  The  pan  should  not  be  too  large.     A  large  pan,  filling 
nearly  the  whole  space  of  the  open  jaws,  may  seem  to  increase 
the  chances  of  an  animal's  being  caught,  by  giving  him  more 
surface  to  tread  upon  in  springing  the  trap.     But  there  is  a 
mistake  in  this.     When  an  animal  springs  a  trap  by  treading 
on  the  outer  part  of  a  large  pan,  his  foot  is  near  the  jaw,  and 
instead  of  being  caught,  is  liable  to  be  thrown   out  by  the 
stroke  of  the  jaw  ;  whereas,  when  he  treads  on  a  small  pan, 
his  foot  is  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  sweep  of  the  jaws,  and 
he  is  very  sure  to  be  seized  far  enough  up  on  the  leg  to  be 
well  secured. 

3.  The  spring  should  be  strong  enough.     This  is  a  matter 
for  good  judgment,  that  cannot  well  be  explained  here ;  but 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  very  many  traps,  in  consequence  of  false 
economy  on  the  part  of  manufacturers,  are  furnished   with 
springs  that  are   too  weak  to   secure  strong  and  desperate 
animals. 

4.  The  spring  should   be    tempered   scientifically.      Many 
springs,   in   consequence   of  being   badly   tempered,    "  give 
down  "  in  a  little  while,  i.  e.,  lose  their  elasticity  and  close 
together ;   and  others   break  in  cold  weather,   or  when   set 
under  water. 

5.  The  spring  should  be  correctly  proportioned  and  tapered. 
Without  this,  the  stronger  it  is  and  the  better  it  is  tempered, 
the  more  liable  it  is  to  break. 

6.  The  form  of  the  jaws  must  be  such  as  to  give  the  bow  of 
the  spring  a  proper  inclined  plane  to  work  upon.      In  many 
traps,  the  angle  at  the  shoulder  of  the  jaws  is  so  great,  that 
even  a  strong  spring  will  not  hold  a  desperate  animal. 

7.  The  adjustment  of  the  spring  and  jaws  must*  be  such, 


PRELIMINARIES.  17 

that  the  jaivs  will  lie  flat  when  open.     Otherwise  the  trap  can- 
not well  be  secreted. 

8.  The  jaws  must  work  easily  in  the  posts.     For  want  of 
attention  to  this,  many  traps  will  not  spring. 

9.  The  adjustment  of  all  the  parts  and  their  actual  working 
should  be  so  inspected  and  tested  that  every  trap  shall  be  ready 
for  use  —  "sure  to  go"  and  sure  to  hold.     In  consequence 
of  the  unfaithfulness  of  trap-makers  in  inspecting  and  testing 
their  work,  many  a  trapper,  after  lugging  a  weary  hack-load 
of  traps  into  the  wilderness,  finds  that  a  large  portion  of  them 
have  some  "  hitch  "  which  either  makes  them  worthless  or 
requires  a  tug  at  tinkering  before  they  can  be  made  to  do  the 
poorest  service. 

German  and  English  traps  are  almost  universally  liable  to 
criticism  on  all  the  points  above  mentioned  ;  and  most  of  the 
traps  made  in  this  country  fail  in  one  or  more  of  them. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  requisites,  every  trap  should 
be  furnished  with  a  stout  chain,  faithfully  welded,  with  ring 
and  swivel.  And  let  the  trapper  look  well  to,  the  condition 
of  the  swivel.  Many  of  the  malleable  iron  swivels  used  by 
second  rate,  careless  manufacturers,  will  not  turn  at  all  ;  and 
many  an  animal  escapes  by  twisting  off  chains  that  have  these 
dead  swivels. 

In  treating  of  the  capture  of  particular  animals,  I  shall 
have  occasion  to  refer  frequently  to  several  contrivances  that 
are  used  in  connection  with  the  fastening  of  steej-traps.  I 
will  therefore  describe  those  contrivances  here,  once  for  all. 

THE    SPRING-POLE. 

In  taking  several  kinds  of  land  animals,  such  as  the  mar- 
ten and  fisher,  it  is  necessary  to  provide  against  their  being 
devoured  by  other  animals  before  the  trapper  reaches  them, 
and  also  against  their  gnawing  off  their  own  legs,  or  breaking 
the  chain  of  the  trap  by  violence.  The  contrivance  used  for 
this  purpose  is  called  a  spring-pole,  and  is  prepared  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :  If  a  small  tree  can  be  found  standing  near 
the  place  where  your  trap  is  set,  trim  it  and  use  it  for  a  spring. 
2 


18  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

as  it  stands.  If  not,  cut  a  pole  of  sufficient  size  and  drive  it 
firmly  into  the  ground  ;  bend  down  the  top ;  fasten  the  chain- 
ring  to  it ;  and  fasten  the  pole  in  its  bent  position  by  a  notch 
or  hook  on  a  small  tree  or  a  stick  driven  into  the  ground. 
When  the  animal  is  caught,  his  struggles,  pulling  on  the 
chain,  unhook  the  pole,  which  flying  up  with  a  jerk,  carries 
him  into  the  air,  out  of  the  reach  of  prowlers,  and  in  a  con- 
dition that  disables  his  attempts  to  escape  by  self-amputation 
or  other  violence.  The  size  of  the  pole  must  be  proportioned 
to  the  weight  of  the  game  which  it  is  expected  to  lift. 

THE    SLIDING-POLE. 

Animals  of  aquatic  habits,  when  caught  in  traps,  invariably 
plunge  at  once  into  deep  water;  and  it  is  the  object  of  the 
trapper,  availing  himself  of  this  plunge,  to  drown  his  captive 
as  soon  as  possible,  in  order  to  stop  his  violence,  and  keep  him 
out  of  the  reach  of  other  animals.  The  weight  of  the  trap 
and  chain  is  usually  sufficient  for  this  purpose  in  the  case  of 
the  muskrat.  But  in  taking  the  larger  amphibious  animals, 
such  as  the  beaver,  the  trapper  uses  a  contrivance  which  is 
called  the  sliding-pole.  It  is  prepared  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Cut  a  pole  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  leaving  branches 
enough  on  the  small  end  to  prevent  the  ring  of  the  chain  from 
slipping  off.  Place  this  pole  near  where  you  set  your  trap,  in 
an  inclined  position,  with  its  small  end  reaching  into  the  deep- 
est part  of  the  stream,  and  its  large  end  secured  at  the  bank 
by  a  hook  driven  into  the  ground.  Slip  the  ring  of  your  chain 
on  to  this  pole,  and  see  that  it  is  free  to  traverse  down  the 
whole  length.  When  the  animal  is  taken  it  plunges  desperately 
into  the  region  towards  which  the  pole  leads.  The  ring  slides 
down  to  the  end  of  the  pole  at  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  and, 
with  a  short  chain,  prevents  the  victim  from  rising  to  the  sur- 
face or  returning  to  the  shore. 

THE    CLOG. 

Some  powerful  and  violent  animals,  if  caught  in  a  trap  that 
is  staked  fast,  will  pull  their  legs  off,  or  beat  the  trap  in 
pieces ;  but  if  allowed  to  drag  the  trap  about  with  a  moderate 


PRELIMINARIES.  19 

weight  attached,  will  behave  more  gently,  or  at  least  will  not 
be  able  to  get  loose  for  want  of  purchase.  The  weight  used 
in  such  cases  is  called  a  clog.  It  is  usually  a  pole  or  stick  of 
wood,  of  a  size  suited  to  the  ring  of  the  trap-chain,  and  to 
the  size  of  the  game.  As  the  object  of  it  is  to  encumber  the 
animal,  but  not  to  hold  it  fast,  the  chain  should  be  attached 
to  it  near  one  of  its  ends,  so  that  it  will  not  be  likely  to  get 
fast  among  the  rocks  and  bushes  for  a  considerable  time. 
The  usual  way  is  to  slip  the  ring  over  the  large  end  of  the 
pole  and  fasten  it  with  a  wedge. 

RULE    FOR    BAITING. 

There  is  one  general  principle  in  regard  to  baiting  animals 
that  may  as  well  be  recorded  and  explained  here,  as  it  is  ap- 
plicable to  all  cases.  It  is  this :  Never  put  bait  on  the  pan  of 
a  trap.  The  old-fashioned  traps  were  always  made  with  holes 
in  the  pan  for  strings  to  tie  on  bait ;  and  many  if  not  most 
novices  in  trapping  imagine  that  the  true  way  is  to  attract  the 
animal's  nose  straight  to  the  centre  of  action,  by  piling  bait 
on  the  pan,  as  though  it  were  expected  to  catch  him  by  the 
head.  The  truth,  however,  is,  that  animals  are  very  rarely 
taken  by  the  head  or  the  body,  but  almost  always  by  a  leg. 
When  an  animal  pulls  at  a  bait  on  the  pan  of  a  trap,  he  is  not 
likely  even  to  spring  the  trap,  for  he  lifts  in  the  wrong  direc- 
tion ;  and  if  he  does  spring  it,  the  position  of  his  head  is  such, 
especially  if  the  bait  is  high  on  the  pan,  that  he  is  pretty  sure 
to  give  the  jaws  the  slip.  Besides,  bait  on  the  pan  calls  the 
attention  of  the  wary  animal  to  the  trap  ;  whereas  he  ought 
to  be  wholly  diverted  from  it,  and  all  signs  of  it  obliterated. 
Bait  should  always  be  placed  so  that  the  animal  in  attempting 
to  take  it  shall  put  a  foot  on  the  pan.  This  can  be  done  in 
several  ways,  all  of  which  will  be  explained  in  detail  here- 
after. But  this  general  direction  may  be  given  for  all  cases 
that  are  not  otherwise  prescribed  for :  Place  the  bait  either  on 
a  stick  above  the  trap,  or  in  an  inclosure  so  arranged  that  the 
animal  will  have  to  step  over  the  trap  to  reach  it. 


THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 


PROPER  OUTFIT  OF  TRAPS. 

In  preparing  for  a  trapping  excursion,  the  novice  naturally 
inquires  how  many  traps  he  shall  take  along.  If  the  question 
were  simply  how  many  traps  he  could  tend,  I  should  probably 
say  from  one  to  two  hundred.  But  the  main  question  really 
is,  how  many  traps  can  he  carry?  If  he  is  going  on  a  marsh, 
lake,  or  river,  where  he  can  travel  by  boat,  or  into  a  region 
where  he  can  carry  his  baggage  by  horse  and  wagon,  he  may 
take  along  all  the  traps  he  can  tend,  —  the  more  the  better. 
But  if  he  is  going  by  overland  routes  into  the  rough,  woody 
regions  where  most  game  abounds,  and  consequently  must 
carry  his  baggage  on  his  back,  he  will  probably  find  that 
seventy-five  small  traps,  or  an  equivalent  weight  of  large  and 
small  ones,  will  be  as  much  as  he  will  like  to  carry. 

PROFITS    OF    TRAPPING. 

The  provident  candidate  for  wood-craft  will  want  to  know 
what  wages  a  man  is  likely  to  make  at  trapping.  I  will  give 
him  a  few  instances  of  what  has  been  done,  and  then  he  may 
judge  for  himself.  I  have  cleared  seven  dollars  per  day  for  a 
five  weeks'  trip.  A  man  that  once  trapped  with  me,  caught 
fifty- three  muskrats  in  one  night,  which  at  present  prices 
would  be  worth  fifteen  dollars  and  ninety  cents.  I  know 
several  men  in  Jefferson  county  (New  York),  who  paid  for 
good  farms  with  furs  that  they  caught  within  eight  miles  of 
home.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  two  men  to  make  five  hun- 
dred dollars  in  a  trapping  season.  But  too  much  reliance 
must  not  be  placed  on  these  specimens.  Good  weather,  good 
trapping-grounds,  good  traps,  good  judgment,  and  good  luck 
must  be  combined,  to  secure  good  profits. 


II.    CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS. 

IT  will  be  useful  to  the  inexperienced  trapper  to  have  some 
account  of  the  appearance  and  habits  of  each  animal  in  con- 
nection with  instructions  for  capturing  it.  Such  information 
is  often  indispensable  as  the  basis  of  plans  and  contrivances 
for  capture.  I  shall  confine  myself  to  brief  descriptions  in 
common  language,  not  attempting  any  thing  scientific ;  and  I 
shall  avail  myself  of  the  help  of  books  where  my  own  obser- 
vation and  experience  fail. 


THE    MUSKRAT    OR    MUSQUASH. 

This  is  an  animal  of  amphibious  habits.  Its  head  and  body 
are  from  thirteen  to  fifteen  inches  in  length.  The  tail  is  nine 
or  ten  inches  long,  two-edged,  and  for  two  thirds  its  length 
rudder-shaped,  and  covered  with  scales  and  thin,  short  hair, 
the  edges  being  heavily  fringed.  The  hind  feet  are  slightly 
webbed ;  so  that  it  can  "  feather  the  oar,"  as  boatmen  say, 
when  they  are  brought  forward  in  swimming.  The  color  is 
brown  above  and  ashy  beneath.  Muskrats  are  nocturnal  in 
their  habits ;  but  are  frequently  seen  swimming  and  feeding 
in  the  day  time.  They  are  excellent  swimmers,  and  can  go 
from  ten  to  fifteen  rods  under  water  without  breathing.  Their 
natural  food  is  grass  and  roots ;  but  they  will  eat  clams,  mus- 
sels, flesh,  corn,  oats,  wheat,  apples,  and  many  other  vegeta- 
bles. In  open  winters  they  sometimes  find  their  way  into 
farmers'  cellars  through  drains,  and  make  free  with  whatever 
they  find  in  store.  They  thrive  best  in  sluggish  streams  or 
ponds  bordered  with  grass  and  flags.  The  roots  of  these 
plants  are  their  chief  support,  and  from  the  tops  they  con- 
struct their  abodes.  These  structures  are  dome-shaped,  and 


22  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

rise  sometimes  to  the  height  of  five  or  six  feet.  The  entrances 
are  at  the  bottom,  under  water;  so  that  the  inside  of  the 
houses  are  not  exposed  to  the  open  air.  The  Muskrats  live  in 
them  in  winter,  gathering  into  families  of  from  six  to  ten 
members.  Hundreds  of  these  dwellings  can  be  counted  from 
a  single  point  in  many  large  marshes. 

Muskrats  have  a  curious  method  of  travelling  long  distances 
under  the  ice.  In  their  winter  excursions  to  their  feeding- 
grounds,  which  are  frequently  at  great  distances  from  their 
abodes,  they  take  in  breath  at  starting  and  remain  under  the 
water  as  long  as  they  can.  Then  they  rise  up  to  the  ice,  and 
breathe  out  the  air  in  their  lungs,  which  remains  in  bubbles 
against  the  lower  surface  'of  the  ice.  They  wait  till  this  air 
recovers  oxygen  from  the  water  and  the  ice,  and  then  take  it 
in  again  and  go  on  till  the  operation  has  to  be  repeated.  In 
this  way  they  can  travel  almost  any  distance,  and  live  any 
length  of  time  under  the  ice. 

The  hunter  sometimes  takes  advantage  of  this  habit  of  the 
Muskrat,  in  the  following  manner :  When  the  marshes  and 
ponds  where  Muskrats  abound  are  first  frozen  over  and  the  ice 
is  thin  and  clear,  on  striking  into  their  houses  with  his  hatchet 
for  the  purpose  of  setting  his  traps,  he  frequently  sees  a  whole 
family  plunge  into  the  water  and  swirn  away  under  the  ice. 
Following  one  of  them  for  some  distance,  he  sees  him  come 
up  to  renew  his  breath  in  the  manner  above  described.  After 
the  animal  has  breathed  against  the  ice,  and  before  he  has  had 
time  to  take  his  bubble  in  again,  the  hunter  strikes  with  his 
hatchet  directly  over  him  and  drives  him  away  from  his 
breath.  In  this  case  he  drowns  in  swimming  a  few  rods,  and 
the  hunter,  cutting  a  hole  in  the  ice,  takes  him  out.  Mink, 
otter,  and  beaver  travel  under  the  ice  in  the  same  way  ;  and 
hunters  have  frequently  told  me  of  taking  otter  in  the  manner 
I  have  described,  when  these  animals  visit  the  houses  of  the 
Muskrat  for  prey. 

In  summer,  Muskrats  live  mostly  in  banks  and  in  hollow 
trees  that  stand  near  a  stream  ;  and  sometimes,  for  want  of 
suitable  marshes  and  ponds,  they  remain  in  the  banks  and 
trees  through  the  winter.  They  are  very  prolific,  bringing 


CAPTURE   OF   ANIMALS.  ,  23 

forth  from  six  to  nine  at  a  birth,  and  three  times  a  year.  The 
first  kittens  also  have  one  litter,  which  attain  to  about  the  size 
of  house- rats  in  September.  They  have  many  enemies,  such 
as  the  fox,  wolf,  lynx,  otter,  mink,  and  owl.  They  are  found 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  the  Rio  Grande  to 
the  Arctic  Regions.  But  they  do  not  inhabit  the  alluvial 
lands  of  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Florida,  though  in 
other  regions  they  live  much  further  south. 

The  modes  of  capturing  the  Muskrat  are  various.  One  of 
them  we  have  already  seen.  Another  is  by  spearing,  of 
which  a  fine  example  will  be  given  in  a  subsequent  article  by 
Mr.  Thacker.  These  methods  are  good  at  certain  seasons 
and  in  certain  conditions  of  the  ice,  &c.  ;  but  for  general  serv- 
ice there  is  no  means  of  capture  so  reliable  as  the  steel-trap. 
Traps  should  be  set  in  the  principal  feeding  places,  play- 
grounds, and  holes  of  the  Muskrat,  and  generally  about  two 
inches  under  water.  Bait  is  not  necessary  except  when  game 
is  scarce  and  its  signs  not  fresh.  In  that  case  you  may  bait 
with  apples,  parsnips,  carrots,  artichokes,  white  flag-roots,  or 
even  the  flesh  of  the  muskrat.  The  musk  of  this  animal  will 
sometimes  draw  effectually  at  long  distances.  The  bait  should 
be  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  stick,  and  stuck  over  the  trap  about 
eight  inches  high,  and  in  such  a  position  that  the  animal  will 
have  to  pass  over  the  trap  to  take  the  bait.  Care  should  be 
taken  to  fasten  the  trap  to  a  stake  in  such  a  position  that  the 
chain  will  lead  the  captive  into  deep  water  and  drown  him. 
If  he  is  allowed  to  entangle  himself  or  by  any  means  to  get 
ashore,  he  will  be  very  likely  to  gnaw  or  twist  off  a  leg  and 
get  away. 

THE    MINK. 

The  Mink  is  found  in  the  northern  parts  of  America,  Eu- 
rope, and  Asia.  Its  fur  is  very  valuable,  and  in  this  country 
of  late  years  has  been  the  most  popular  kind.  The  Mink  is 
carnivorous,  and  belongs  to  the  mustelidce  or  weasel  family. 
It  resembles  the  ferret  and  ermine.  It  is  not  amphibious  like 
the  muskrat,  yet  lives  on  the  banks  of  streams  and  gets  much 
of  its  food  from  them.  It  is  of  a  dark  brown  color ,  has 
short  legs,  a  long  body  and  neck,  and  a  bushy  tail.  In  this 


24  THE    TRAPPER'S   ART. 

country  there  are  two  varieties,  which  some  naturalists  have 
supposed  were  distinct  species  ;  one  small,  dark-colored,  com- 
mon in  the  Northern  and  Eastern  States  and  Canada  ;  the 
other  larger,  with  lighter-colored,  coarser,  and  less  valuable 
fur,  common  in  the  Western  and  Southern  States.  The  dark- 
colored  variety  measures,  from  eleven  to  eighteen  inches  in 
length  from  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail,  and  has  a  tail  from 
six  to  ten  inches  in  length.  The  European  and  Asiatic  Mink 
is  a  distinct  species. 

Mink  are  ramblers  in  their  habits,  except  in  the  breeding 
season.  They  feed  on  fish,  frogs,  snakes,  birds,  mice,  and 
•muskrats  ;  and  the  hen-roost  frequently  suffers  from  their  dep- 
redations. They  are  very  fond  of  speckled  trout,  and  pretty 
sure  to  find  out  the  streams  where  those  fish  abound.  Their 
breeding  season  commences  about  the  last  of  April,  and  the 
females  bring  forth  from  four  to  six  at  a  litter.  The  young 
are  hid  by  the  mother  till  they  attain  nearly  half  their  growth, 
as  the  males  of  this  species,  as  well  as  of  the  marten,  fisher, 
weasel,  panther,  and  most  carnivorous  animals,  destroy  their 
young  when  they  can  find  them. 

Mink  can  be  taken  in  steel-traps,  either  on  land  or  in  the 
water.  Experts  generally  prefer  to  take  them  on  land.  The 
trap  should  be  set  near  the  bank  of  a  stream.  If  one  of  their 
holes  cannot  be  found,  make  a  hole  by  the  side  of  a  root  or  a 
stump,  or  anywhere  in  the  ground.  Three  sides  of  the  cavity 
should  be  barricaded  with  stones,  bark,  or  rotten  wood,  and 
the  trap  set  at  the  entrance.  The  bait  may  be  fish,  birds,  or 
the  flesh  of  the  muskrat,  cut  in  small  pieces  ;  and  it  should 
be  put  into  the  cavity  beyond  the  trap,  so  that  the  animal  will 
have  to  step  over  the  trap  in  taking  the  bait.  The  trap  should 
be  concealed  by  a  covering  of  leaves,  rotten  vegetation, 
or,  what  is  better,  the  feathers  of  some  bird.  In  very  cold 
weather  the  bait  should  be  smoked  to  give  it  a  stronger  smell. 

Mink  can  be  attracted  long  distances  by  a  scent  that  is  pre- 
pared from  the  decomposition  of  eels,  trout,  or  even  minnows. 
These  fishes  are  cut  in  small  pieces,  and  put  into  a  loosely- 
corked  bottle,  which  is  allowed  to  hang  in  the  sunshine  for 
two  or  three  weeks  in  summer,  when  a  sort  of  oil  is  formed 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  25 

which  emits  a  very  strong  odor.  A  few  drops  of  this  oil  on 
the  bait,  or  even  on  a  stick  without  bait,  will  draw  Mink  very 
effectually. 

The  chain  of  the  trap  should  be  fastened  to  a  spring-pole, 
strong  enough  to  lift  the  animal,  when  caught,  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  fisher,  fox,  and  other  depredators  ;  or  if  the  trap 
is  set  near  deep  water,  it  may  be  attached  to  a  sliding-pole, 
which  will  secure  the  game  by  drowning  it.  Both  of  these 
devices  are  fully  described  on  pages  17  and  18. 

THE    MARTEN. 

The  Marten  is  found  on  this  Continent  from  about  north 
latitude  forty  degrees  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  woods,  or 
about  sixty-eight  degrees.  On  the  Eastern  Continent  they  in- 
habit all  the  North  of  Europe  and  Asia,  except  the  treeless 
districts  of  the  cold  regions.  The  principal  species  are,  the 
Pine  Marten,  which  inhabits  both  continents,  the  Beech  or 
Stone  Marten  of  Europe,  the  Sable  of  Russia  and  Northern 
Asia,  and  the  Japanese  Sable.  Naturalists  class  the  fisher, 
also,  with  the  Martens.  The  Russian  Sable  is  the  finest  and 
most  valuable  of  all  the  Martens.  The  Hudson's  Bay  and 
Lake  Superior  Martens  are  next  in  value.  Those  from  Hud- 
son's Bay,  though  really  a  variety  of  the  American  Pine 
Marten,  are  commonly  called  Hudson's  Bay  Sables,  and  their 
fur  is  known  by  that  name  in  the  markets  of  Europe. 

The  Marten  belongs  to  the  weasel  family,  and  is  carnivo- 
rous. It  is  about  as  large  as  the  mink,  and  differs  but  little 
from  the  latter  in  form,  save  that  its  feet  are  larger  and  hairy 
to  the  toes,  and  its  tail  is  somewhat  larger  and  of  a  dark  brown 
or  black  color.  The  fur  of  the  American  Pine  Marten  is  gen- 
erally of  a  yellowish  brown,  but  varies  greatly  in  color  accord- 
ing to  season,  latitude,  and  locality.  The  Hudson's  Bay  and 
Lake  Superior  Martens  are  very  dark-colored.  The  favorite 
haunts  of  these  animals  are  the  thick  dark  woods  of  the  cold 
snowy  regions.  They  are  strictly  arboreal  in  their  habitat. 
They  generally  live  in  hollow  trees,  but  occasionally  they  ex- 
cavate dens  in  the  ground.  They  feed  on  rabbits,  birds, 
squirrels,  mice,  and  other  small  animals ;  are  fond  of  beech- 


26  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

nuts,  and,  it  is  said,  resemble  the  bear  in  their  fondness  for 
honey.  They  are  active  climbers,  and  their  small  size  enables 
them  to  pursue  the  gray  squirrel  and  capture  him  in  his 
hiding-places.  They  are,  however,  unable  to  cope  in  speed 
with  the  red  squirrel  or  chickaree.  They  are  not  strictly 
nocturnal  in  their  habits,  as  some  have  asserted,  being  fre- 
quently seen  and  killed  in  the  daytime.  Their  breeding  sea- 
son begins  in  March  or  April,  and  they  have  from  three  to 
five  young  at  a  time,  which  are  hidden  from  the  males  during 
infancy. 

Sir  John  Richardson,  the  Arctic  explorer,  says  that  "  par- 
ticular races  of  Martens,  distinguished  by  the  fineness  and 
dark  color  of  their  fur,  appear  to  inhabit  certain  rocky  dis- 
tricts." 

Throughout  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory  there  is  a  period- 
ical disappearance  of  the  Martens,  which  is  very  remarkable. 
It  occurs,  according  to  Bernard  Rogan  Ross,  in  decades,  or 
thereabouts,  with  wonderful  regularity,  and  it  is  not  known 
what  becomes  of  them.  They  are  not  found  dead,  and  there 
is  no  evidence  of  their  migration.  The  failure  extends  through 
the  whole  territory  at  the  same  time.  In  the  seasons  of  their 
disappearance,  the  few  that  remain  will  scarcely  touch  bait. 
There  seems  to  be  a  providential  instinct  in  this  by  which  the 
total  destruction  of  the  race  is  prevented. 

Martens  are  taken  in  steel-traps  by  the  same  method  as  the 
mink.  In  winter,  however,  the  traps  should  be  set  in  hollow 
logs  or  trees,  secured  from  the  covering  of  snows,  and  con- 
cealed by  the  feathers  of  a  bird.  The  Marten  trappers  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  commonly  bait  with  fish-heads,  pieces 
of  flesh-meat,  or,  what  they  consider  still  better,  the  heads  of 
wild  fowl,  which  the  natives  gather  for  this  purpose  in  au- 
tumn. 

THE    SABLE. 

As  I  have  already  remarked,  the  Sable  is  closely  allied  to 
the  martens.  It  is  classed  with  them  in  Natural  History,  un- 
der the  scientific  name  of  Maries  Zibellina.  Two  species  are 
known  :  the  Maries  Zibellina  or  Russian  Sable,  and  the  Jap- 
anese Sable.  The  latter  is  marked  with  black  on  its  legs  and 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  27 

feet.  It  is  thought  by  some  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's 
agents,  that  a  marten  exists  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Brit- 
ish America,  and  in  the  late  Russian  Possessions,  which,  if  not 
the  same,  is  very  closely  allied  to  the  Russian  Sable.  The 
Russian  Sable  is  spread  over  a  vast  extent  of  territory,  being 
found  from  the  northern  parts  of  European  Russia  eastward 
to  Kamtschatka.  Its  size  is  about  equal  to  that  of  the  marten, 
being  about  eighteen  inches  in  length  exclusive  of  the  tail.  It 
is  not  very  prolific,  seldom  bringing  forth  more  than  five  at  a 
birth,  and  generally  only  three.  This  takes  place  in  March 
and  April.  They  make  their  homes  chiefly  near  the  banks 
of  rivers,  and  in  the  thickest  parts  of  the  woods.  They  usu- 
ally live  in  holes  which  they  burrow  in  the  earth.  These 
burrows  are  commonly  made  more  secure  by  being  dug  among 
the  roots  of  trees.  Occasionally  they  make  their  nests  in  the 
hollows  of  trees,  and  there  rear  their-  young.  Their  nests  are 
composed  of  moss,  leaves,  and  dried  grass,  and  are  soft  and 
warm.  Their  food  varies  with  the  season,  arid  is  partly  ani- 
mal and  partly  vegetable.  In  the  summer,  when  hares  and 
other  small  animals  are  wandering  about,  the  Sable  devours 
great  numbers  of  them.  But  in  winter,  when  these  animals 
are  confined  in  their  retreats  by  the  frost  and  snow,  the  Sable 
is  said  to  feed  on  wild  berries.  It  also  hunts  and  devours  the 
ermine  and  small  weasels,  and  such  birds  as  its  agility  enables 
it  to  seize.  Sometimes,  when  other  sources  of  food  fail,  it  will 
follow  the  track  of  wolves  and  bears,  and  feed  on  the  rem- 
nants of  prey  these  animals  may  have  left. 

The  fur  of  the  Sable  is  in  great  request,  and  is  the  most 
beautiful  and  richly  tinted  of  all  the  martens.  The  color  is 
a  rich  brown,  slightly  mottled  with  white  about  the  head,  and 
having  a  gray  tinge  on  the  neck  ;  it  varies  somewhat  according 
to  locality,  and  in  some  regions  is  very  dark.  The  best  skins 
are  said  to  be  obtained  in  Yakootsk,  Kamtschatka,  and  Russian 
Lapland.  Atkinson,  in  his  "  Travels  in  Asiatic  Russia,"  says 
that  Bagouzin,  on  Lake  Baikal,  is  famed  for  its  Sables.  No 
skins  have  yet  been  found  in  any  part  of  the  wrorld  equal  to 
them.  The  fur  is  of  a  deep  jet  black,  with  points  of  hair 
tipped  with  white.  This  constitutes  their  peculiar  beauty. 


28  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

From  eighty  to  ninety  dollars  are  sometimes  demanded  by  the 
hunters  for  a  single  skin. 

C5 

The  Russian  Sable  is  monopolized  by  the  imperial  family 
and  nobility  of  that  country.  Only  a  few  skins  find  their  way 
into  other  countries.  Some,  however,  are  obtained  privately 
in  Siberia,  by  Jewish  traders,  and  brought  annually  to  the 
Leipzig  fair.  The  fur  of  the  Sable  has  the  peculiarity  of 
being  fixed  in  the  skin  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  turn  with 
equal  freedom  in  all  directions,  and  lies  smoothly  in  whatever 
direction  it  may  be  pressed.  The  fur  is  rather  long  in  propor- 
tion to  the  size  of  the  animal,  and  extends  down  the  limbs  to 
the  claws. 

The  best  method  of  capturing  the  Sable  is  by  the  steel-trap, 
the  same  as  I  have  already  described  for  taking  the  mink  and 
marten. 

The  Sable  can  be  domesticated  with  success. 

THE    ERMINE. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  sable,  amongst  European  furs,  is 
that  of  the  Ermine.  The  Ermine  belongs  to  the  weasel  fam- 
ily, has  the  general  weasel  shape  and  appearance,  and  inhabits 
the  northern  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia.  It  is  a  small  animal, 
measuring  only  about  fourteen  inches  in  total  length,  of  which 
the  tail  occupies  four  inches.  There  is,  however,  considerable 
variation  in  the  size  of  individuals.  The  Ermine  is  carniv- 
orous and  a  most  determined  hunter.  It  preys  on  hares,  rab- 
bits, and  all  kinds  of  small  quadrupeds,  birds,  and  reptiles. 
It  is  very  fond  of  rabbits,  of  which,  especially  the  young,  it 
destroys  great  numbers.  The  pheasant  and  partridge  also 
suffer  greatly  from  its  predacity.  It  pursues  its  game  with 
great  pertinacity  and  rarely  suffers  it  to  escape.  It  is  also 
a  great  plunderer  of  birds'  nests  of  all  kinds.  Its  favorite 
mode  of  attacking  its  prey  is  by  fastening  on  the  neck 
and  sucking  the  blood  of  its  victim.  Wood,  in  his  "  Illus- 
trated Natural  History,"  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  hare  is  hunted  by  the  Stoat  or  Ermine  : 

"  Although  tolerably  swift  of  foot,  it  is  entirely  unable  to  cope 
with  the  great  speed  of  the  hare,  an  animal  which  frequently  falls 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  29 

a  victim  to  the  Stoat.  Yet  it  is  enabled,  by  its  great  delicacy  of 
scent  and  the  singular  endurance  of  its  frame,  to  run  down  any  hare 
on  whose  track  it  may  have  set  itself,  in  spite  of  the  long  legs  and 
wonderful  speed  of  its  prey.  When  pursued  by  a  Stoat,  the  hare 
does  not  seem  to  put  forward  its  strength  as  it  does  when  it  is  fol- 
lowed by  dogs,  but  as  soon  as  it  discovers  the  nature  of  its  pursuer, 
seems  to  lose  all  energy,  and  hops  lazily  along  as  if  its  faculties 
were  benumbed  by  some  powerful  agency.  This  strange  lassitude, 
in  whatever  manner  it  may  be  produced,  is  of  great  service  to  the 
Stoat,  in  enabling  it  to  secure  an  animal  which  might  in  a  very  few 
minutes  place  itself  beyond  the  reach  of  danger,  by  running  in  a 
straight  line. 

"  In  this  curious  phenomenon,  there  are  one  or  two  points  worthy 
of  notice. 

"  Although  the  Stoat  is  physically  less  powerful  than  the  hare,  it 
yet  is  endowed  with,  and  is  conscious  of,  a  moral  superiority,  which 
will  at  length  attain  its  aim.  The  hare,  on  the  other  hand,  is  sensi- 
ble of  its  weakness,  and  its  instincts  of  conservation  are  much  weaker 
than  the  destructive  instinct  of  its  pursuer.  It  must  be  conscious 
of  its  inferiority,  or  it  would  not  run,  but  boldly  face  its  enemy ;  for 
the  hare  is  a  fierce  and  determined  fighter  when  it  is  matched  against 
animals  that  are  possessed  of  twenty  times  the  muscular  powers  of 
the  Stoat.  But  as  soon  as  it  has  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  fiery  eyes 
of  its  persecutor,  its  faculties  fail,  and  its  senses  become  oppressed 
with  that  strange  lethargy  which  is  felt  by  many  creatures  when 
they  meet  the  fixed  gaze  of  the  serpent's  eye.  A  gentleman  who 
once  met  with  a  dangerous  adventure  with  a  cobra,  told  me  that  the 
creature  moved  its  head  gently  from  side  to  side  in  front  of  his  face, 
and  that  a  strange  and  soothing  influence  began  to  creep  over  his 
senses,  depriving  him  of  the  power  of  motion,  but  at  the  same  time 
removing  all  sense  of  fear.  So  the  hare  seems  to  be  influenced  by 
a  similar  feeling,  and  to  be  enticed  as  it  were  to  its  fate,  the  senses 
of  fear  and  pain  benumbed,  and  the  mere  animal  faculties  surviving 
to  be  destroyed  by  the  single  bite." 

The  mink,  marten,  fisher,  and  other  members  of  the  weasel 
family,  a"re  said  to  exercise  an  influence  on  their  prey  similar 
to  that  above  described. 

The  color  of  the  Ermine  in  summer  is  a  light  reddish  brown 
on  the  upper  parts  of  the  body,  and  lighter  tinted  or  nearly 
white  underneath.  In  winter,  in  the  high  northern  latitudes, 


80  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

its  fur  changes  to  a  delicate  cream-colored  white,  on  all  parts 
of  the  body  except  the  tip  of  the  tail,  which  retains  its  black 
color  and  forms  a  fine  contrast  to  the  rest  of  the  body.  It  is 
only  in  the  coldest  portions  of  Norway,  Sweden,  Russia,  and 
Siberia  that  the  Ermine  becomes  sufficiently  blanched  in  win- 
ter to  become  of  any  commercial  value.  Russian  Asia  fur- 
nishes the  greater  portion  of  those  caught.  In  England  the 
Ermine,  when  in  its  summer  coat,  is  commonly  called  the 
Stoat,  and,  on  account  of  its  predaceous  habits,  is  thoroughly 
detested. 

Ermine  fur  was  formerly  monopolized  by  the  royal  families 
and  nobility  of  Europe,  but  now  finds  its  way  into  the  gen- 
eral markets. 

The  same  general  methods  should  be  pursued  in  trapping 
the  Ermine  as  in  the  case  of  the  mink  and  marten. 

THE   FISHER. 

This  animal  is  usually  called  Pennant's  Marten  by  the 
naturalists.  From  some  hunters  it  also  receives  the  name  of 
Pekan.  But  in  the  fur-trade  it  is  generally  known  as  the 
Fisher.  It  is  strictly  a  North  American  animal,  ranging  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  the  mountains  of  North 
Carolina  and  Tennessee  to  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  and  perhaps 
still  further  north. 

The  Fisher  belongs  to  the  weasel  family,  and  resembles 
both  the  marten  and  the  wolverene  in  its  habits  and  general 
appearance,  though  much  larger  than  the  former  and  less 
than  the  latter.  Its  general  shape  is  like  that  of  the  marten, 
but  its  head  is  more  pointed,  its  ears  are  more  rounded,  its 
neck,  logs,  and  feet  are  stouter  in  proportion,  and  its  claws 
much  stronger.  An  average,  full-sized  Fisher  will  measure 
about  two  feet  from  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail.  Its  tail 
is  about  fifteen  inches  in  length.  Its  feet  are  large,  short,  and 
stout,  and  thickly  covered  with  fur  and  hair.  The  color  of  its 
fur  is  dark  brown  or  black,  and  its  tail  is  black  and  bushy. 

Fishers  are  found  chiefly  in  the  cold,  snowy  regions  of  the 
north,  and  are  generally  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  though  less 
so  than  the  fox.  They  do  not  live  so  exclusively  in  the 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  81 

woods  as  the  marten,  but  their  food  is  much  the  same.  They 
prey  on  hares,  raccoons,  squirrels,  grouse,  mice,  and  small 
birds,  and  have  been  seen  watching  for  fish,  lying  on  a  log 
that  crossed  the  stream,  with  head  inclined  downward,  ready 
for  a  plunge.  They,  however,  prefer  flesh -meat  to  fish. 
Their  breeding  season  begins  in  March  or  April,  and  from 
two  to  four  young  are  brought  forth  at  a  time.  The  young 
are  hidden  from  the  males  in  hollow  trees  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  ground,  until  they  are  large  enough  to  take 
care  of  themselves. 

Fishers  are  taken  in  steel-traps  by  the  same  methods  as  the 
mink  and  marten.  The  barricade  round  the  trap,  however, 
should  be  stronger,  and  the  entrance  larger.  The  trap  in  all 
cases  should  be  fastened  to  a  spring-pole  of  sufficient  strength 
to  lift  the  animal  clear  from  the  ground,  as  it  is  pretty  sure  to 
gnaw  off  a  leg  or  the  pole,  if  left  where  it  can  touch  the 
ground.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  trappers  sometimes 
use  the  same  methods  in  trapping  the  Fisher  as  those  em- 
ployed in  fox  trapping.  Messrs.  Holland  and  Gunter,  trap- 
pers of  many  years'  experience  in  the  Laurentian  Hills,  of 
Canada  West,  describe  their  mode  of  trapping  the  Fisher  as 
follows :  — 

"  For  capturing  the  Fisher,  we  always  draw  a  trail  composed  of 
the  oil  of  anise,  assafcetida,  and  the  musk  of  the  mu^krat,  mixed 
with  fish  oil,  and  placed  in  a  deerskin  bug  about  the  size  of  a  mitten, 
pierced  full  of  holes  with  a  small  awl.  If  drawn  along  the  line  of 
traps  the  scent  is  sure  to  attract  the  Fisher's  attention,  and  when  an 
animal  once  finds  it,  he  will  follow  the  trail  till  he  comes  to  a  trap. 
Mink  are  sometimes  caught  along  trails  of  this  kind ;  and  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  set  a  trap  for  wolves  on  the  line,  as  they  are  likely  to 
be  attracted  to  and  follow  it.  In  setting  the  trap,  we  either  place  it 
in  a  hollow  log,  or  build  a  strong  house  and  place  the  trap  at  the 
entrance.  In  the  latter  case  the  bait  should  be  placed  in  the  back 
part  of  the  house,  about  two  feet  from  the  door.  The  trap  should 
be  covered  with  finely  powdered  rotten  wood.  A  spring-pole  should 
be  used,  as  all  animals  of  the  canine  family  will  follow  the  trail  and 
rob  the  traps.  Deer-meat,  muskrat-meat,  or  fish,  make  good  bait 
for  the  fisher,  marten,  mink,  or  wolf." 


82  THE  TRAPPER'S   ART. 

The  Fisher  is  an  exceedingly  powerful  animal  for  its  size, 
and  will  tear  down  wooden  traps,  or  "  dead-falls,"  with  ease. 
It  frequently  annoys  the  trapper  by  robbing  his  marten-traps 
of  their  bait,  or  of  the  animals  they  have  caught.  Indeed, 
the  marten-trappers  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory  consider 
an  old  Fisher  as  great  an  infliction  as  a  wolverene.  It  will 

O 

follow  a  "line  "  of  traps  for  miles,  and  visits  them  with  ex- 
emplary regularity.  The  structure  for  taking  the  marten 
being  too  small  to  admit  the  entrance  of  a  Fisher,  he  breaks 
in  from  behind,  and  thus  secures  the  bait  without  getting  into 
the  trap. 

THE  FOX. 

The  members  of  the  Fox  or  Vulpine  genus  are  numerous. 
Foxes  are  distributed  through  all  latitudes,  but  they  are 
most  abundant  in  the  North.  Naturalists  recognize  fourteen 
different  species.  On  this  continent  we  have  the  Red,  the 
Gross,  the  Silver  or  Black,  the  Prairie,  the  Swift  or  Kit,  the 
Gray,  the  Coast,  and  the  Arctic  species.  Northern  Asia  is 
represented  by  the  Black  and  Gray,  the  White,  the  Red,  and 
the  Kit;  European  Russia,  Sweden,  and  Norway,  by  the 
Black  and  Gray,  the  Cross,  the  Blue,  the  White,  and  the 
Red  ;  Middle  Europe,  by  the  Red ;  and  Greenland  by  the 
Blue  and  the  White.  In  Southern  Africa  the  Asse  or 
Caama,  and  in  Northern  Africa  the  Fennec  or  Zerda,  belong 
to  the  Fox  genus.  Fur-dealers  say  that  there  are  thirteen 
different  varieties  or  species  of  the  Fox  in  Russia. 

The  Fox  is  one  of  the  most  important,  of  the  fur-bearing 
animals.  The  most  valuable,  most  beautiful,  most  rare,  and 
most  sought  for  of  all  the  foxes,  is  the  Silver  Gray  or  Black. 
It  is  found  in  the  high  northern  latitudes  of  both  continents, 
but  only  about  two  thousand  skins  in  all  are  annually  ob- 
tained. The  best  ones  bring  at  the  London  sales  as  much  as 
two  hundred  dollars  each.  The  Cross  Fox  is  next  in  value. 
On  this  continent  the  Black,  Cross,  and  Red  Foxes  vary 
greatly  in  color  and  marking,  and  in  quality  of  fur.  This  is 
probably  due  to  the  hybridizing  of  the  different  species  with 
each  other.  It  is  thought  by  some  hunters  that  the  Cross 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  33 

Fox  is  a  hybrid  between  the  Red  and  the  Black.  It  seems, 
however,  to  be  a  permanent  variety. 

The  Fox  belongs  to  the  dog  or  wolf  family,  and  is  carnivo- 
rous in  its  habits.  The  different  species  closely  resemble  each 
other  in  size,  form,  habits,  and  mode  of  capture.  They  differ 
mainly  in  the  color  and  quality  of  their  fur,  which  varies,  in 
consequence  of  difference  in  species  and  in  climate,  from  the 
coarsest  dog  fur  to  the  finest  sable.  The  American  Red  Fox 
is  the  most  common  in  this  country,  and  in  many  parts  of  the 
United  States  is  considered  one  of  the  worst  robbers  of  the 
farmer's  sheep-fold  and  hen-roost.  The  Red  Fox  of  Europe, 
though  closely  resembling  the  American,  is  a  different  species. 

Foxes  feed  on  grouse,  small  birds,  hares,  rabbits,  squirrels, 
muskrats,  mice,  fish,  eggs  ;  and  some  of  them  are  remarkably 
fond  of  grapes,  strawberries,  and  other  ripe  fruits.  When 
pressed  with  hunger,  they  accept  reptiles  and  carrion.  Their 
modes  of  securing  their  prey  are  various.  They  generally 
seize  their  victim  by  creeping  stealthily  within  springing  dis- 
tance, and  pouncing  on  it  like  a  cat ;  but  they  frequently  pur- 
sue the  rabbit  and  other  game  with  the  "  long  chase."  Their 
senses  of  sight,  smell,  and  hearing  are  very  acute,  and  their 
speed  is  great.  They  are  cunning,  and  their  tricks  to  escape 
their  enemies  and  secure  their  prey  are  very  remarkable. 
The  length  of  the  Fox  from  the  nose  to  the  tip  of  the  tail  is 
about  three  feet,  and  its  weight  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five 
pounds.  The  tail  is  large  and  bushy,  and  when  wet  retards 
their  speed  in  running.  Their  breeding  season  is  in  February 
or  March,  and  they  bring  forth  from  four  to  nine  at  a  birth. 
They  generally  burrow  and  rear  their  young  in  the  earth,  but 
sometimes  take  up  their  abode  in  a  hollow  tree  or  log,  or  in  a 
ledge  of  rocks. 

Some  of  the  most  successful  methods  of  catching  the  Fox 
are  the  following:  — 

To  prevent  the  smell  of  iron  from  alarming  the  game,  the 
trap  should  be  thoroughly  smeared  with  blood,  which  can  be 
done  by  holding  it  under  the  neck  of  some  bleeding  animal 
and  allowing  it  to  dry.  Or,  for  the  same  purpose,  it  may  be 
heated  and  covered  with  beeswax,  which  at  the  proper  tern- 


34  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

perature  will  readily  run  all  over  the  trap  and  chain.  It 
should  be  set  near  the  haunts  of  the  fox.  A  bed  of  ashes, 
chaff,  or  light  earth  should  conceal  the  trap,  and  it  should  be 
fastened  to  a  movable  clog  of  six  or  eight  pounds'  weight,  as 
directed  on  page  18.  Wool,  moss,  leaves,  or  some  other  soft 
substance  should  be  packed  lightly  under  the  pan  and  around 
the  jaws.  The  surface  of  the  earth  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  trap  should  be  brushed  with  a  quill  or  bush,  so  that  all 
will  seem  natural.  Scraps  or  small  pieces  of  fried  meat,  rolled 
in  honey,  should  be  scattered  over  the  bed  of  the  trap,  except 
where  the  pan  is.  Care  should  be  taken  to  erase  all  foot- 
prints. To  make  the  allurement  doubly  sure,  obtain  from 
the  female  of  the  dog,  fox,  or  wolf  the  matrix  in  the  season  of 
coition,  and  preserve  it  in  a  quart  of  alcohol  tightly  corked. 
Leave  a  small  portion  of  this  preparation  on  something  near 
the  trap ;  and  then,  putting  some  of  it  on  the  bottom  of  your 
boots  from  time  to  time,  strike  large  circles  in  two  different 
directions,  leading  round  to  the  trap.  A  piece  of  bloody  meat 
may  be  drawn  on  these  circles  at  the  same  time.  The  Fox, 
on  striking  this  trail,  will  be  very  sure  to  follow  it  round  to 
the  trap  and  be  caught. 

Another  method  practised  by  woodmen  is  to  set  the  trap  in 
a  spring  that  does  not  freeze  over  in  winter,  placing  it  about 
half  an  inch  under  water,  and  covering  the  space  within  the 
jaws  with  a  piece  of  moss  that  rises  above  the  water.  A  bait 
of  meat  should  be  placed  in  such  a  position  that  the  Fox,  in 
taking  it,  will  be  likely  to  put  his  foot  on  the  moss,  to  prevent 
wetting  it.  The  essence  of  the  skunk  is  sometimes  used  in 
this  case,  in  connection  with  the  bait,  with  good  effect ;  but 
most  trappers  prefer  the  preparation  in  alcohol,  above  men- 
tioned. 

Another  good  way  is  to  obtain  from  the  kennel  of  some 
tame  Fox  (if  such  can  be  found)  a  few  quarts  of  loose  earth 
taken  from  the  place  where  the  animal  is  accustomed  to  urin- 
ate. Set  your  trap  in  this  material,  and  bait  and  smooth  the 
bed  as  before.  The  Fox,  cunning  as  he  is,  is  not  proof  against 
such  attractions. 


lit 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  S6 

THE    OTTER. 

The  Otter  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world.  Eleven 
species,  or  at  least  varieties,  have  been  noticed  by  naturalists. 
These  inhabit  the  following  countries :  one  species  each  in 
Europe,  Island  of  Trinidad,  Guiana,  Brazil,  Kamtschatka, 
Java,  Madagascar,  Pondicherry,  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  and 
two  species  in  North  America.  The  principal  species  on  this 
Continent,  and  the  most  important  of  all  in  the  fur-trade,  is 
the  Canada  or  American  Otter,  scientific  name  Lutra  Cana- 
densis.  The  range  of  this  Otter  is  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to 
the  Pacific,  and  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  shores  of  the 
Arctic  Sea.  The  other  North  American  species  is  the  Cali- 
fornia Otter. 

The  Otter  is  aquatic  in  its  habits,  living  in  and  near  streams 
and  getting  its  living  from  them.  In  appearance  the  Otter 
resembles  a  magnified  mink.  Its  fur  and  color  are  much  like 
those  of  the  mink,  and  the  lightening  of  the  tints  in  age  are 
the  same  in  both.  Its  fur  is  short  and  thick.  The  under-fur 
is  slightly  waved  and  silky,  and  similar  in  texture  to  that  of 
the  beaver,  but  not  so  long.  It  has  a  silvery  white  shade. 
The  color  of  the  overlying  hairs  varies  from  a  rich  and  glossy 
brownish  black  to  a  dark  chestnut.  The  under  parts  are  lighter 
than  the  upper.  The  Otter's  ears  are  small  and  far  apart; 
head  broad  and  flat  above  ;  body  thick  and  long ;  feet  hard, 
short,  and  webbed ;  tail  long,  round,  and  toward  the  tip  de- 
pressed, and  flat  beneath.  The  fur  on  the  tail  is  the  same  as 
that  on  the  body,  but  shorter.  Its  legs  are  apparently  set 
upon  the  sides  of  its  body,  which  gives  it  an  awkward, 
waddling  appearance  when  travelling  on  land.  Otters  fre- 
quently measure  three  feet  and  a  half  from  the  nose  to  the 
tip  of  the  tail,  and  weigh  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  pounds. 

They  are  excellent  swimmers  and  divers,  and  can  remain 
a  long  time  under  water.  Their  activity  in  this  element  ena- 
bles them  to  take  fish  with  the  greatest  ease.  They  even 
destroy  fish  in*  great  numbers  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  killing 
them,  when  they  do  not  require  them  for  food.  The  speckled 
trout  is  their  favorite  game,  and  they  frequent  the  clear  rapid 


36  THE  TRAPPER'S   ART. 

streams  in  search  of  this  dainty.  They  are  sometimes  tamed 
and  taught  to  drive  fish  into  the  net,  and  even  to  catch  them 
and  bring  them  ashore  for  their  master.  The  Chinese  or 
Indian  Otter,  called  also  the  Nair-Nair,  affords  a  good  illus- 
tration of  this  capability.  In  every  part  of  India  the 
trained  Otters  are  almost  as  common  as  the  trained  dogs  in 
England.* 

Otters  burrow  in  the  bank  of  streams,  lining  their  nests 
with  leaves  and  grass.  The  entrances  to  their  abodes  are 
under  water.  Their  breeding  season  is  in  April  or  May,  and 
the  females  bring  forth  from  two  to  four  young  at  a  time. 

They  are  gregarious  and  rambling  in  their  habits,  and  have 
a  singular  practice  of  sliding  down  wet  and  muddv  banks 
and  icy  slopes,  apparently  for  sport.  The  places  where  they 
play  in  this  manner  are  called  "  slides,"  and  are  found  at 
intervals  on  all  the  streams  and  routes  that  they  haunt.  They 

*  The  mode  of  instruction -which  is  followed  in  the  education  of  the  Otter  is  simple, 
and  is  thus  explained  in  Wood's  Illustrated  Natural  History :  "  The  creature  is  by 
degrees  weaned  from  its  usual  fish  diet,  and  taught  to  live  almost  wholly  on  bread 
and  milk,  the  only  fish-like  article  which  it  is  permitted  to  see  being  a  leathern  carica- 
ture of  the  finny  race,  with  which  the  young  Otter  is  habituated  to  play  as  a  kitten 
plays  with  a  crumpled  paper  or  a  cork,  which  does  temporary  duty  for  a  mouse. 
When  the  animal  has  accustomed  itself  to  chase  and  catch  the  artificial  fish,  and  to 
give  it  into  the  hand  of  its  master,  the  teacher  extends  his  instructions  by  drawing 
the  leathern  image  smartly  into  the  water  by  means  of  a  string,  and  encouraging  his 
pupil  to  plunge  into  the  stream  after  the  lure  and  bring  it  ashore.  As  soon  as  the 
young  Otter  yields  the  leathern  prey,  it  is  rewarded  by  some  dainty  morsel  which  its 
teacher  is  careful  to  keep  at  hand,  and  learns  to  connect  the  two  circumstances  to- 
gether. Having  become  proficient  in  the  preliminary  instructions,  the  pupil  is  further 
tested  by  the  substitution  of  a  veritable,  but  a  dead  fish,  in  lieu  of  the  manufactured 
article,  and  is  taught  to  chase,  capture,  and  yield  the  fish  at  the  command  of  its  mas- 
ter. A  living  fish  is  then  affixed  to  a  line  in  order  to  be  brought  by  the  Otter  from 
the  water  in  which  it  is  permitted  to  swim;  and  lastly,  the  pupil  is  taught  to  pursue 
and  capture  living  fish,  which  are  thrown  into  the  water  before  its  eyes.  The  remain- 
ing point  of  instruction  is  to  take  the  so-far  trained  animal  to  the  water-side,  and 
induce  it  to  chase  and  bring  to  shore  the  inhabitants  of  the  stream,  as  they  swim 
unconstrained  in  their  native  element. 

"  When  in  pursuit  of  its  finny  prey,  the  Otter  displays  a  grace  and  power  which 
cannot  be  appreciated  without  ocujar  investigation.  The  animal  glides  through  the 
water  with  such  consummate  ease  and  swiftness,  and  bends  its  pliant  body  with  such 
flexible  undulations,  that  the  quick  and  wary  fish  are  worsted  in  their  own  art,  and 
fall  easy  victims  to  the  Otter's  superior  aquatic  powers.  So  easily  does  it  glide  into 
the  water  that  no  sound  is  heard,  and  scarcely  a  ripple  is  seen  to  mark  the  time  or 
place  of  its  entrance;  and  when  it  emerges  upon  the  shore,  it  withdraws  its  body 
from  the  stream  with  the  same  noiseless  ease  that  characterizes  its  entrance." 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS. 


37 


are  frequently  seen  in  troops  of  four  or  six  wandering  up  or 
down  a  stream,  and  travelling  for  miles  over  hills  and  through 
swamps,  from  one  stream  or  lake  to  the  nearest  point  of  an- 
other. In  their  rambles  they  make  it  a  point  to  have  a  game 
of  antics  at  every  "  slide  "  on  their  route.  They  are  gone 
from  home  on  excursions  of  this  kind  generally  a  week  or  ten 
days,  and  the  trapper  who  knows  their  habits,  is  not  disap- 
pointed if  he  does  not  catch  them  on  their  home-grounds  the 
first  or  second  night,  but  waits  patiently  for  their  return  from 
their  circuit. 


Otter  Slide. 

I  have  shown  on  page  14  that  the  shooting  of  fur-bearing 
animals  is  a  wasteful  practice,  because  it  injures  the  fur.  It 
is  especially  wasteful  in  the  case  of  aquatic  animals,  because 
they  sink  when  shot  in  the  water  and  generally  are  lost.  Very 
few  Otter  are  saved  that  are  killed  in  this  way. 

Some  trappers  take  the  Otter  with  what  is  called  a  "  claw- 
trap  " — an  instrument  that  springs 
like  a  common  steel  -  trap,  but 
strikes  and  kills  the  animal  with 
claws  or  hooks.  This  trap  should 
Claw  Trap.  be  set  on  ^e  steepest  "  slides," 

at  about  the  middle  of  the  descent  and  in  the  centre  of  the 
path,  so  that  the  Otter,  in  his  game  of  sliding  down  hill  shall 


38  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

spring  the  hooks  and  be  struck  in  the  centre  of  the  body  or 
breast.     The  trap  must  be  carefully  secreted. 

But  the  common  steel-trap  is  undoubtedly  the  best  means 
of  taking  the  Otter;  and  this  instrument  should  be  placed  not 
on  the  middle  of  the  "  slide,"  but  at  the  highest  point  of  it, 
where  the  animal  starts  for  his  descent.  The  reason  is,  that 
at  that  point  he  is  likely  to  be  in  a  walking  position,  so  as  to 
be  caught  by  his  legs  ;  whereas  when  he  is  on  his  way  down 
the  hill,  he  is  sliding  and  rolling  with  his  fore  legs  under  his 
body,  and  is  very  apt  to  spring  the  trap  with  his  breast  or  belly 
so  as  not  to  be  seized  by  the  jaws.  Also  the  trap  should  be 
placed  a  little  on  one  side  of  the  central  path  of  the  "  slide," 
because  the  legs  of  the  Otter  stand  out  on  the  sides  of  his 
body  and  are  so  far  apart,  that  he  is  likely  to  put  down  his 
feet  on  each  side  of  the  trap  and  not  in  it,  if  it  is  set  in  the 
middle  of  the  path.  A  small  cavity  should  be  made  in  the 
earth  with  a  knife  or  hatchet,  and  the  trap  inserted  so  as  to 
be  nearly  level  with  the  path.  Under  the  pan  and  around 
the  jaws  and  springs  there  should  be  a  light  packing  of  leaves 
and  moss.  The  top  covering  should  be  dry  leaves  of  some 
evergreen  or  rotten  wood  broken  very  fine  and  brushed  off 
smooth  so  as  to  appear  natural.  The  trap  should  be  fastened 
in  the  following  manner :  Cut  a  small  tree  of  the  size  of  the 
chain-ring  and  set  it  upright  near  enough  to  the  path  to  assist 
in  guiding  the  animal  into  the  trap,  supporting  it  in  that  posi- 
tion and  securing  the  trap  and  game  by  withing  or  tying  the 
top  to  another  tree.  The  ring  should  be  slipped  on  the  butt 
and  fastened  by  a  wedge.  After  the  trap  is  thus  properly  set, 
covered  and  fastened,  a  dry  bush  may  be  carelessly  dropped 
in  such  a  position  as  to  turn  the  Otter  in  the  right  direction 
toward  the  trap.  The  whole  apparatus  should  then  be  thor- 
oughly drenched  with  water,  which  can  be  done  by  dipping 
an  evergreen  bough  in  the  stream  and  sprinkling.  Finally, 
perfume  the  place  of  the  trap  with  a  few  drops  of  the  fish-oil 
described  on  page  24.  The  musk  of  the  Otter  (which  is  an 
oil  taken  from  two  small  glands,  called  oil-stones,  lying  next 
the  skin  on  the  belly  of  both  sexes)  may  be  added  to  complete 
the  charm.  The  trapper,  in  his  rounds  of  inspection,  should 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  39 

be  careful  to  keep  at  a  proper  distance  from  the  trap  while  it 
is  unsprung,  so  as  not  to  leave  any  disturbing  scent  on  the 
field  of  operations  ;  for  the  Otter's  sense  of  smell  is  incredibly 
delicate. 

The  art  of  taking  Otter  in  the  winter  under  the  ice  is  not 
generally  understood  by  trappers,  and  deserves  an  explanation. 
These  animals  do  not  hibernate,  but  travel  about  in  winter 
as  well  as  in  summer.  In  the  coldest  weather  they  keep  their 
feeding  boles  in  the  ice  open,  and  are  frequently  seen  near  the 
edges,  playing,  sliding,  and  catching  fish.  They  can  be  taken 
by  the  following  process :  Ascertain  the  depth  of  water  at 
one  of  these  holes,  and  cut  a  pole,  suitable  to  the  ring  of  the 
chain,  and  long  enough  to  rise  some  distance  above  the  ice 
when  the  butt  is  driven  into  the  bottom.  The  ring  of  the  chain 
should  be  slipped  on  the  butt  before  it  is  driven,  and  should 
be  free  to  traverse  the  length  of  the  pole,  except  that  a  twig 
should  be  left  near  the  lower  end  to  prevent  it  from  slipping 
off  when  you  come  to  raise  the  trap.  Two  branches  should 
emerge  from  one  place  toward  the  upper  end,  and  should 
be  left  three  or  four  inches  long.  Drive  the  pole  so  that  these 
branches  will  be  about  eight  inches  below  the  ice,  and  fill  into 
the  fork  of  the  branches  with  evergreens,  so  as  to  give  the 
appearance  of  a  bird's  nest.  Set  your  trap  on*  this  nest,  and 
the  Otter,  climbing  over  it  to  assist  him  in  emerging  from  the 
water,  will  spring  it  and  be  taken.  Then  he  will  make  a 
desperate,  plunge  to  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  and  the  ring 
of  the  chain  sliding  down  on  the  pole,  he  will  be  unable 
to  rise  again  and  will  drown.  In  this  way  many  can  be 
taken  successively  in  a  single  trap.  They  travel  mostly  under 
the  ice  in  winter,  and  in  their  rounds  visit  all  the  feeding 
holes  on  their  way  ;  and  are  often  taken  in  traps  set  as  above 
directed,  when  the  holes  are  entirely  frozen  over. 

During  the  winter  the  migrations  of  the  Otter  on  land  are 
toilsome,  and  it  leaves  a  deep  furrow  or  path  in  the  snow. 
If  a  trap  be  set  on  this  path  the  Otter  is  nearly  certain  to  be 
caught,  as  it  has  a  strong  objection  to  opening  new  paths 
through  the  snow. 

Other  methods  of  trapping  the  Otter  than  those  I  have  de- 


40  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

scribed  are  pursued  by  different  trappers.  Some  trappers  prefer 
to  take  them  as  they  come  out  of  the  water  near  their  "  slides." 
It  should  be  understood  that  Otters  do  not  come  ashore  di- 
rectly on  to  the  "  slide."  They  choose  for  their  "  slides  "  that 
part  of  the  bank,  of  the  stream  or  lake,  which  descends  at  a 
steep  angle  into  deep  water,  so  that  when  descending  the 
"  slide"  they  may  plunge  swiftly  into  the  water  without  ob- 
struction. In  coming  out  of  the  water  to  go  on  the  "  slide," 
they  choose  a  place  where  the  water  is  shallow  at  the  shore, 
and  where  they  can  walk  up  the  bank  easily.  Hence,  their 
place  of  exit  is  generally  at  a  little  distance  from  the  "  slide." 
The  Canadian  trappers,  Holland  and  Gunter,  describe  their 
mode  of  trapping  the  Otter,  as  follows  :  — 

"  We  set  the  trap  clo?e  to  the  land,  where  the  Otter  comes  out  of 
the  water  lo  go  on  the  '  slide.'  We  place  the  trap  about  three  inches 
tinder  water,  and  a  little  on  one  side  of  the  path  of  the  animal,  so 
that  the  pan  of  the  trap  is  about  three  inches  from  the  centre  of  the 
path.  The  chain-ring  of  the  trap  we  fasten  to  a  pole  fifteen  feet 
long  and  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter.  Then  to  the  chain 
close  to  the  pole  we  fasten  a  stone  of  about  eight  pounds'  weight,  to 
serve  as  an  anchor ;  so  that  when  the  Otter  is  caught  and  makes  for 
deep  water,  the  stone  sinks  him  to  the  bottom  and  he  drowns.  In 
cases  where  the  water  is  too  shallow  to  admit  of  setting  the  trap 
appropriately,  an  exca^7ation  should  be  made.  If  the  water  is  too 
deep,  place  a  flat  stone  or  a  piece  of  sunken  wood  under  the  trap. 
In  all  cases  the  trap  should  be  set  level ;  the  anchor-stone  and  chain 
should  be  sunk  under  water;  and  the  pole  should  be  placed  upright 
on  one  side  of  the  path,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  let  the  Otter  get 
into  deep  water.  We  use  the  Newhouse  Fox-Trap  altogether  for 
Otter." 

Spencer  J.  Clark,  of  Oneida  County,  New  York,  who  for- 
merly trapped  in  Wisconsin,  recommends  setting  the  trap 
where  the  Otter  comes  out  of  the  water,  in  the  following 
position :  The  Otter  swims  to  the  shore,  and  as  soon  as  his 
fore  feet  strike  the  ground  his  hind  feet  sink  to  the  bottom, 
and  he  walks  out  erect.  Find  the  point  where  the  Otter's 
hind  feet  strike  the  bottom,  and  set  the  trap  there.  The  ad- 
vantages of  this  method  are,  first,  the  trap  is  in  a  position 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  41 

where  it  is  not  likely  to  be  sprung,  except  by  the  Otter's  feet ; 
secondly,  the  trap  can  generally  be  set  and  visited  in  a  boat 
without  disturbing  the  shore,  or  leaving  foot-prints  and  scent 
about  the  "  slide."  A  sliding-pole  should  be  used. 

Other  trappers  prefer  to  set  the  trap  several  feet  from  the 
shore,  on  the  path  which  the  Otter  takes  in  ascending  to  the 
top  of  the  "  slide."  It  should  be  set  in  the  same  manner  as 
I  have  described  for  taking  the  animal  when  coining  on  to  the 
"  slide,"  on  a  preceding  page.  J.  P.  Hutchins  recommends 
this  method. 

THE    SEA-OTTER. 

Along  the  northern  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  especially 
in  Kamtschatka  and  Russian  America,  another  species  of  Otter 
exists,  called  the  Sea-Otter  or  Kalan.  It  is  much  larger  than 
the  fresh  water  Otter,  weighing  from  sixty  to  eighty  pounds. 
During  the  colder  months  of  the  year  this  Otter  dwells  by  the 
sea-shores,  where  it  is  very  active  in  the  capture  of  marine 
fish.  When  warm  weather  approaches,  the  Kalan  leaves 
the  coasts,  and  with  its  mate  proceeds  up  the  rivers  till  it 
reaches  the  fresh  water  lakes  of  the  interior,  where  it  remains 
till  cold  weather  again  approaches.  It  is  a  rather  scarce  ani- 
mal and  not  very  prolific.  The  head  and  body  measure  from 
three  to  four  feet  in  length.  The  tail  is  about  seven  inches 
long.  Their  food  consists  of  fish,  Crustacea,  mollusks,  &c. 
This  Otter  haunts  sea-washed  rocks,  around  bays  and  estua- 
ries, lives  mostly  in  the  water,  and  resembles  the  seals  more 
than  the  Otters  in  its  habits.  It  is  very  timid,  and  prefers 
the  neighborhood  of  islands  where  it  can  find  both  food  and 
shelter. 

The  fur  of  the  Sea-Otter  is  very  beautiful  and  of  great 
value.  Its  color  is  variable,  but  the  general  hue  is  a  rich 
black,  slightly  tinged  with  brown  on  the  upper  parts  of  the 
body,  while  the  under  portions  and  legs  are  of  a  lighter  hue. 
About  the  head  there  is  occasionally  more  or  less  white.  The 
principal  market  for  the  skins  is  in  China,  where  they  are 
greatly  prized  by  the  official  classes. 

I  cannot  learn  that  any  method  of  trapping  the  Sea-Otter 


42  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

has  ever  been  resorted  to.  They  are  usually  hunted  with 
boats,  and  shot.  Audubon  says  that  they  are  carefully  ap- 
proached by  the  boat,  and  when  within  a  short  distance  are 
shot,  and  then  harpooned  by  the  bowsman  before  they  sink. 
A  careful  study  of  their  habits  and  haunts  would  probably 
indicate  some  method  of  taking  them  with  the  steel-trap, 
which  would  be  more  successful  and  inexpensive  than  any 
other. 

THE    BEAVER. 

The  Beaver  belongs  to  the  same  family  with  the  muskrat, 
and,  like  the  latter,  is  amphibious.  Indeed,  these  two  species 
are  so  nearly  alike,  that  a  Beaver  seems  to  be  only  a  muskrat 
enormously  enlarged.  The  body  of  the  Beaver  is  thick, 
heavy,  and  squat ;  about  two  feet  and  a  half  long ;  weighing, 
when  full  grown,  from  sixty  to  eighty  pounds.  The  tail  is 
the  most  notable  part  of  the  animal.  It  measures  from  ten 
to  twelve  inches  in  length,  and  from  three  to  four  and  a  half 
inches  in  breadth.  It  is  oval  in  shape,  but  flattened  on  the 
upper  and  under  sides,  and  is  covered  with  a  species  of  hairy 
scales,  which  are  set  upon  a  thick,  dusky  skin.  It  is  believed 
by  trappers  who  have  diligently  watched  the  ways  of  this  ani- 
mal, that  it  uses  its  tail  as  a  spade  or  trowel  in  working  mud 
and  sand.  This  member  also  answers  the  purpose  of  a  prop, 
to  help  the  animal  stand  erect  while  at  work.  It  serves  as 
both  rudder  and  oar  in  swimming,  being  turned  under  the 
body  at  a  right  angle,  and  swung  from  side  to  side  with  great 
rapidity  and  power,  the  operation  being  like  the  sculling  of  a 
boat. 

Beavers  are  not  gregarious  in  summer,  but  become  so  at 
the  approach  of  winter,  when  they  build  their  huts  and  dams 
and  gather  their  stores  of  food.  Their  huts  are  built  first, 
generally  in  September,  arid  are  much  like  those  of  the  musk- 
rat,  but  larger  and  stronger.  They  rise  out  of  the  water, 
and  have  their  entrances  at  the  bottom.  They  are  made  to 
hold  ten  or  twelve  animals  each.  Some  Beavers  live  on  the 
banks  of  large  rivers  and  lakes,  and,  having  of  course  plenty 
of  water,  do  not  build  dams,  but  have  their  holes  in  the  banks, 


CAPTURE   OF   ANIMALS.  43 

with  their  entrances  under  water,  and  their  huts  in  front  of 
them.  These  are  called  Bank  Beavers,  though  they  differ  in 
nothing  from  their  dam-building  brethren.  Those  that  live 
on  small  streams,  where  there  is  not  water  enough  to  surround 
their  huts  and  protect  their  stores  from  freezing  in  winter, 
build  dams  to  raise  the  water  and  create  ponds  suitable  for 
their  purpose.  They  commence  by  cutting  down  with  their 
teeth  trees  of  all  sizes,  from  those  of  ten  inches  in  diameter 
to  the  smallest  brushwood.  These  are  cut  into  pieces  suitable 
for  transportation  by  a  single  animal,  and  then  are  conveyed 
to  the  place  chosen  for  a  dam,  the  Beaver  laying  one  paw  over 
the  timber,  as  he  drags  it  along  with  his  teeth.  The  smaller 
materials,  such  as  mud,  sticks,  and  stones,  are  carried  between 
one  of  the  fore-paws  and  the  chin.  The  dams  differ  in  shape 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  stream  where  they  are  built. 
In  streams  where  the  current  is  rapid  or  powerful,  the  dams 
are  built  with  a  convex  curve  up-stream,  which  strengthens 
them  against  the  floods  and  the  ordinary  constant  pressure  of 
the  stream.  In  streams  where  the  water  has  but  little  mo- 
tion, the  dams  are  built  straight  across ;  and  sometimes  they 
have  been  observed  with  a  curve  down-stream.  No  special 
order  or  method  is  observed  in  building  the  dams,  except  that 
the  work  is  carried  on  with  a  regular  sweep,  and  all  the  parts 
are  made  of  equal  strength.  They  are  frequently  six  or  eight 
feet  high,  and  from  ten  to  thirty  rods  in  length.  The  trees, 
resting  on  the  bottom,  are  so  mixed  and  filled  in  with  mud, 
sticks,  stones,  leaves,  and  grass,  that  very  little  water  escapes, 
except  by  running  over  the  top  ;  and  the  height  is  so  uniform 
that  the  water  drips  evenly  from  one  end  to  the  other.  After 
the  dams  are  built,  but  before  they  are  frozen  over,  the  Bea- 
vers lay  in  their  winter  stores,  which  consist  of  the  bark  of 
the  willow,  aspen,  poplar,  birch,  and  alder.  They  fell  these 
trees  with  their  teeth,  cut  them  up  into  short  sections,  and 
sink  them  in  the  water  near  their  huts.  In  the  winter,  when 
their  ponds  are  frozen  over,  they  enter  the  water  by  the  holes 
at  the  bottom  of  their  huts,  collect  these  sunken  trees  and 
take  them  to  their  dwellings,  as  they  require  them  for  food. 
The  breeding  season  of  the  Beaver  commences  in  April  or 


44  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

May,  and  they  have  from  two  to  four  young  ones  at  a  birth. 
The  young  remain  with  their  parents  for  three  years.  In  the 
fourth  year  they  start  a  new  colony,  and  commence  breeding, 
the  parents  assisting  in  building  the  new  clam.  This  is  prob- 
ably the  reason  why  so  many  dams  are  built  one  above  an- 
other on  the  same  stream.  Several  can  frequently  be  seen 
from  a  single  point,  and  they  are  generally  so  arranged  that 
the  water  from  one  dam  sets  back  to  the  next  above. 

The  houses  of  the  Beaver  are  built  of  the  same  materials 
as  their  dams.  They  are  proportioned  in  size  to  the  number 
of  their  inhabitants,  which  seldom  exceed  four  old  and  six  or 
eight  young  ones,  though  more  than  double  that  number  have 
sometimes  been  found.  Hearne,  in  his  narrative  of  explora- 
tions in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country  nearly  a  hundred  years 
ago,  relates  an  instance  where  the  Indians  of  his  party  killed 
twelve  old  Beaver  and  twenty-five  young  and  half-grown  ones 
out  of  one  house  ;  and  it  was  found,  on  examination,  that 
several  others  had  escaped.  This  house,  however,  was  a  very 
large  one,  and  had  near  a  dozen  apartments  under  one  roof, 
which,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  had  no  communication 
with  each  other,  except  by  water,  and  were  probably  occupied 
by  separate  families.  In  the  spring,  Beavers  leave  their 
houses,  and  roam  about  during  the  summer.  On  their  return 
in  the  autumn,  they  repair  their  habitations  for  winter  use. 
This  is  done  by  covering  the  outside  with  fresh  mud.  This 
operation  is  not  finished  until  the  frost  has  become  pretty  se- 
vere, as  by  this  means  the  surface  soon  freezes  as  hard  as 
stone,  and  prevents  their  great  enemy,  the  wolverene,  from 
disturbing  them  during  the  winter. 

The  food  of  the  Beaver,  beside  the  bark  of  the  several  kinds 
of  trees  I  have  mentioned,  consists  chiefly,  in  winter,  of  a 
large  kind  of  root,  somewhat  resembling  a  cabbage-stalk,  that 
grows  at  the  bottom  of  lakes  and  rivers.  In  summer,  they 
vary  their  diet  by  eating  various  kinds  of  herbage,  and  such 
berries  as  grow  near  their  haunts. 

Beavers  are  found  in  the  northern  parts  of  America,  Europe, 
and  Asia.  They  are  generally  supposed  to  belong  to  one  spe- 
cies. They  are  most  abundant  on  this  Continent.  Within  a 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  45 

recent  period,  Beavers  were  abundant  in  all  the  Northern, 
Middle,  and  Western  States  of  the  Union,  as  the  large  num- 
ber of  their  dams,  and  the  beautiful  "  beaver  meadows " 
caused  by  the  filling  up  of  their  ponds  with  alluvial  matter, 
sufficiently  indicate.  But  they  retire  at  the  approach  of  man  ; 
and  the  gradual  clearing  up  and  cultivation  of  the  soil  has 
driven  them  nearly  all  from  the  country.  In  the  upper  and 
lower  provinces  of  Canada,  however,  they  are  still  found  in 
abundance. 

There  are  several  methods  of  taking  Beaver  in  steel-traps. 
A  few  of  the  most  successful  I  will  endeavor  to  describe. 

A  full-grown  family  of  Beavers,  as  I  have  said  before,  con- 
sists of  the  parents  (male  and  female),  their  three-year-old 
offspring,  the  two-year-olds,  and  the  yearlings,  —  four  genera- 
tions of  four  different  sizes,  occupying  one  hut,  and  doing 
business  in  one  pond.  When  a  trapper  comes  upon  such  a 
pond,  or  one  that  he  has  reason  to  believe  is  inhabited  by  a 
large  number  of  Beavers,  his  object  should  be  to  take  them 
all ;  and,  in  order  to  do  this,  he  must  conduct  his  operations 
so  that  when  one  Beaver  is  caught  it  will  not  have  opportunity 
to  alarm  the  rest ;  for  otherwise  the  whole  family  may  leave 
for  parts  unknown.  His  care  should  be  directed  therefore  to 
two  points,  namely,  first,  to  the  setting  of  his  traps  in  such  a 
way  as  to  take  each  Beaver  while  alone ;  and,  secondly,  to 
arrangements  for  drowning  them  as  speedily  as  possible  after 
they  are  taken.  To  secure  the  first  point,  he  should  not  set 
his  traps  very  near  the  dwelling  of  the  Beavers,  but  should 
select  places  at  some  distance  up  the  pond  on  some  point  or 
neck  of  land  projecting  into  the  stream,  where  the  animals  will 
pass  and  repass,  but  where  each  will  be  most  likely  to  be  alone. 
The  trap  should  be  set  close  to  the  shore,  about  three  inches 
under  water,  and  should  be  carefully  secreted  by  a  covering 
of  some  soft  substance  that  will  not  interfere  with  its  spring- 
ing. For  bait,  a  small  portion  of  beaver-castor  (a  milky 
secretion  found  in  glands  near  the  testicles  of  the  male  Bea- 
ver) may  be  left  on  the  bank  near  the  trap.  If  the  trapper's 
approach  was  made  by  land,  all  foot-prints  should  be  erased  by 
drenching  with  water.  To  secure  the  second  point,  the  chain 


46  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

of  the  trap  should  be  attached  to  a  sliding-pole,  in  the  manner 
described  on  page  18,  which  will  lead  the  captured  Beaver 
into  deep  water  and  drown  him. 

Beavers  are  sometimes  taken  by  breaking  away  their  darn, 
two  inches  below  the  surface,  in  one  or  two  places,  and  set- 
ting traps  in  the  breaches.  They  keep  sentinels  who  examine 
their  dams  every  night,  and  the  least  break  is  soon  detected 
and  put  under  repair ;  so  that,  with  traps  properly  set,  some 
of  the  Beavers  will  be  likely  to  be  taken  while  at  work  at  this 
business.  But,  as  the  whole  family  is  summoned  out  when  a 
breach  is  considered  dangerous,  and  as  in  any  case  several 
Beavers  are  likely  to  be  engaged  in  a  work  of  repair,  the  cap- 
ture of  one  is  almost  sure  to  frighten  away  the  rest,  for  which 
reason  this  method  of  capture  should  be  generally  discarded  as 
impolitic. 

The  surest  way  of  taking  Beaver  is  by  trapping  in  winter  in 
the  following  manner :  When  their  ponds  arc  frozen  over, 
make  a  hole  in  the  ice  about  three  feet  across,  near  the  shore 
and  near  a  hut.  Cut  a  tree  of  birch,  poplar,  or  alder,  about 
two  inches  in  diameter ;  press  the  top  together  and  shove  the 
whole  under  the  ice  in  such  a  direction  that  the  Beavers  will 
be  likely  to  pass  and  repass  it  in  going  to  and  from  their 
houses  -The  butt  of  the  tree  should  be  fastened  at  the  shore 
under  the  ice.  Directly  under  the  butt,  about  ten  or  twelve 
inches  below,  a  platform  should  be  prepared  by  driving  stakes 
or  by  any  other  means  that  is  convenient,  on  which  the  trap 
should  be  set.  The  chain  ring  should  be  attached  as  before 
to  a  dry  sliding-pole.  After  the  trap  is  set  and  secured,  the 
hole  in  the  ice  should  be  filled  up  with  snow  and  allowed  to 
freeze.  The  Beaver,  passing  the  newly  cut  tree  and  discover- 
ing its  freshness,  will  proceed  toward  the  butt  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  the  whole  for  food,  and,  in  gnawing  it  off  near  the 
shore  over  the  trap,  will  be  likely  to  be  taken.  The  reason 
why  the  sliding-pole  should  be  dry  is,  that  if  it  is  green  the 
remaining  Beavers  will  be  likely  to  gnaw  it  off  and  take  it 
home  with  them,  trap,  Beaver  and  all,  for  the  sake  of  the  bark. 

The  Beaver  is  said  to  renew  its  breath,  when  travelling 
under  the  ice,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  muskrat ;  and  of 


CAPTURE  OF  ANIMALS.  47 

course  might  be  caught  at  certain  times  in  the  way  described 

on  page  22. 

THE  WOLF. 

There  are  many  varieties  of  the  Wolf,  and  they  are  found 
throughout  North  America,  Europe,  and  Asia.  They  are 
substantially  the  same  in  form  everywhere,  but  vary  in  color 
from  black  through  shades  of  brown,  fulvous,  yellow,  'and 
gray,  to  white.  The  most  common  color  is  gray.  They  vary 
in  size  from  the  great  White  and  Gray  Wolves  of  the  northern 
regions  of  America  to  the  Coyote  of  the  western  plains.  They 
inhabit  chiefly  unsettled  and  mountainous  regions.  They  be- 
long to  the  same  family  with  the  dog  and  fox.  They  are  car- 
nivorous, and  combine  both  ferocity  and  cowardice  in  their 
character.  Though  lean  and  gaunt  in  appearance,  they  are 
fleet  and  powerful  animals.  They  hunt  mostly  in  packs,  and 
destroy  great  numbers  of  deer  in  the  stiff  snows  of  winter, 
sometimes  slaughtering  whole  herds  in  a  single  night.  The 
sheepfold  of  the  frontier  farmer  also  suffers  from  their  depre- 
dations. They  feed  on  almost  all  the  smaller  animals  they 
can  overpower.  Troops  of  them  have  been  known  to  pursue 
and  attack  men.  When  hunting  in  packs  and  pressed  with 
hunger  they  are  bold  and  exceedingly  ferocious.  At  other 
times,  when  roaming  singly,  they  are  sneaking  and  cowardly. 
The  Gray  Wolf  of  this  country,  which  may  be  taken  as  the 
standard  of  size,  is  about  four  feet  long  from  the  point  of 
the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail ;  the  length  of  tail  being  about 
seventeen  inches.  In  the  far  north  they  are  very  large,  some- 
times measuring  six  and  one  half  feet  in  total  length,  and 
weighing  fifty  pounds. 

In  North  America  the  leading  varieties  are  the  Gray  Wolf, 
the  White  Wolf,  the  Black  Wolf,  the  Red  Texan  Wolf,  and 
the  Prairie  Wolf  or  Coyote.  In  South  America  a  Red  Wolf 
is  found  in  the  marshy  districts  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata.  In 
Europe  there  are  Gray,  Black,  Brown,  Red,  and  White 
Wolves.  The  latter  are  confined  mostly  to  the  Northern  and 
Alpine  regions.  In  Asia  there  are  several  varieties  peculiar 
to  that  Continent. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  there  is  a  variety  on  this 


48  ,       THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

Continent  which  should  properly  be  called  the  Giant  Wolf. 
Old  hunters  say  that  occasionally  there  is  seen  in  a  pack  of 
Wolves  one  that  is  larger  and  fleeter  than  its  fellows.  These 
are  called  "  racers."  They  will  run  down  a  deer  with  ease. 
Whether  such  Wolves  form  a  distinct  variety,  or  are  only 
overgrown  individuals  of  the  common  varieties,  has  never 
been  determined. 

The  breeding  season  of  Wolves  is  in  April  or  May,  and  they 
have  from  six  to  ten  young  at  a  time.  They  burrow  in  the 
ground  or  inhabit  hollow  logs  or  caves. 

For  capturing  the  Wolf  by  the  steel-trap,  the  directions 
given  in  the  first  method  of  taking  the  fox  should  be  followed, 
except  that  the  honey  should  be  left  out,  and  the  clog  of  the 
trap  should  be  of  fifteen  or  twenty  pounds'  weight.  The  small 
Prairie  Wolf  that  is  so  troublesome  to  the  western  farmer  can 
be  captured  in  the  same  way.  Care  should  always  be  taken 
to  keep  at  a  proper  distance  when  looking  after  the  trap,  as 
the  Wolf's  sense  of  smell  is  very  acute,  and  enables  him  to 
detect  the  foot-prints  of  the  hunter  with  great  sagacity. 

The  following  plan  for  taking  the  Wolf  is  given  by  Peter 
M.  Gunter,  of  Canada  West :  "  Find  two  trees  standing 
eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  apart.  Place  the  bait  between 
the  trees,  and  set  a  trap  on  each  side  of  it.  The  traps  should 
be  smoked  over  hemlock  or  cedar  boughs,  to  destroy  any  odor 
of  iron.  After  being  carefully  set,  the  traps  should  be  cov- 
ered with  finely  powdered  rotten  wood.  A  clog  of  hard-wood 
of  about  twenty  pounds'  weight  should  be  fastened  to  the  chain 
of  each  trap.  When  all  is  arranged,  rub  some  asafretida  on 
the  trees  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  wolves.  If  two  trees 
cannot  be  found  a  suitable  distance  apart,  lean  two  large  logs 
against  a  tree  where  you  wish  to  set  your  traps.  It  is  better 
to  use  old  logs,  if  lying  about,  than  to  make  any  fresh  chop- 
ping." 

THE    BEAR. 

The  Bear  family  is  very  large.  Its  members  inhabit  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  globe,  except  Australia  and  the  greater  part, 
if  not  all,  of  Africa.  They  range  through  all  latitudes  from 
the  equator  to  the  poles.  The  following  varieties  and  species 


CAPTURE  OF  ANIMALS.  49 

have  been  described  by  naturalists  :  Polar  Bear,  Grizzly 
Bear,  European  Brown  Bear,  American  Black  Bear,  Cinna- 
mon Bear,  Asiatic  Bear,  Siberian  Bear,  Spectacled  Bear  of 
South  America,  Thibetan  Bear,  Bornean  Bear,  and  Malay 
Bear.  *The  three  latter  are  called  Sun-Bears,  from  their 
habit  of  basking  in  the  midday  rays  of  the  sun.  They  are 
the  smallest  members  of  the  family,  and  live  exclusively  on 
vegetables. 

Bears  differ  from  each  other,  in  consequence  of  differences 
of  climate,  more  than  almost  any  other  animals.  Those  that 
inhabit  the  frozen  wastes  near  the  North  Pole,  or  such 
high  cold  regions  as  the  Rocky  Mountains,  are  monsters  of 
strength  and  ferocity  ;  while  those  that  inhabit  warm  coun- 
tries are  small,  feeble,  and  inoffensive.  The  extremes  of  the 
scale  are  the  Bornean  Bear,  which  weighs  less  than  one  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  the  great  Polar  Bear,  which  is  thirteen  feet 
in  length,  and  weighs  twenty-four  hundred  pounds.  The 
American  Black  Bear  is  the  species  with  which  trappers  have 
most  to  do.  It  is  found  in  the  western  and  northern  parts  of 
the  United  States  and  in  the  two  provinces  of  Canada.  Its 
weight  when  full  grown  is  from  three  to  six  hundred  pounds. 
The  Cinnamon  Bear  of  the  Pacific  coast  is  probably  only  a 
variety  of  this  species. 

Bears  (except  the  Sun-Bears)  are  omnivorous,  feeding  in- 
discriminately on  roots,  berries,  nuts,  corn,  oats,  flesh,  fish, 
and  turtles.  The  fanner's  calf-pasture,  sheepfold,  and  hog- 
pen are  frequently  subject  to  their  depredations.  They  are 
particularly  fond  of  honey.  They  generally  sleep  through 
the  coldest  part  of  the  winter.  They  bring  forth  their  young 
in  the  months  of  May  and  June,  and  generally  two  at  a  time. 
The  cubs  are  hid  in  caves  or  hollow  trees  till  they  are  large 
enough  to  follow  the  dam,  and  then  ramble  about  with  her  till 
the  following  spring. 

The  hunting  of  Bears  with  fire-arms,  besides  being  objec- 
tionable on  account  of  injury  to  the  fur,  is  often  dangerous 
business.  They  are  very  tenacious  of  life,  and  very  bold  and 
ferocious  when  wounded.  A  Grizzly  Bear,  shot  by  Captain 
Clark's  party  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  survived  twenty 
4 


50  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

minutes  and  swam  half  a  mile  after  receiving  ten  balls  in  his 
body,  four  of  which  passed  through  his  lungs  and  two  through 
his  heart !  Records  of  Bear -hunting  are  full  of  perilous  ad- 
ventures, and  those  who  engage  in  open  battle  with  the  great 
Grizzly  Bear  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  rarely  escape  without 
loss  of  life  or  limb.  But  steel-traps  of  the  right  size,  and 
properly  managed,  subdue  these  monsters  with  greater  cer- 
tainty than  fire-arms,  and  without  danger  to  the  hunter. 

In  trapping  for  Bears,  a  place  should  be  selected  where 
three  sides  of  an  inclosure  can  be  secured  against  the  entrance 
of  the  animal,  and  one  side  left  open.  The  experienced 
hunter  usually  chooses  a  spot  where  one  log  has  fallen  across 
another,  making  a  pen  in  this  shape  >.  The  bait  is  placed 
at  the  inner  angle,  and  the  trap  at  the  entrance  in  such  a  sit- 
uation that  the  Bear  has  to  pass  over  it  to  get  at  the  bait. 
The  trap  should  be  covered  with  moss  or  leaves.  Some  think 
it  best  to  put  a  small  stick  under  the  pan,  strong  enough  to 
prevent  the  smaller  animals,  such  as  the  raccoon  and  skunk, 
from  springing  the  trap,  but  not  so  stiff*  as  to  support  the 
heavy  foot  of  the  Bear.  The  chain  of  the  trap  should  be  fast- 
ened to  a  clog.  (See  page  18.)  The  weight  of  the  clog  for 
a  Black  Bear  should  be  thirty  pounds ;  for  a  Grizzly  Bear, 
eighty  pounds.  The  chain  should  not  be  more  than  eighteen 
inches  in  length,  as  the  habit  of  the  Bear,  when  caught,  is  to 
attempt  to  dash  the  trap  in  pieces  against  trees,  logs,  or  rocks ; 
and  with  a  short  chain,  fastened  to  a  heavy  clog,  he  is  unable 
to  do  this.  The  bait  should  be  meat,  and  the  Bear  should  be 
invited  to  the  feast  by  the  smell  of  honey  or  honey-cornb,  burnt 
on  heated  stones,  near  the  trap.  Bears  seem  to  entertain  no 
suspicion  of  a  trap,  and  enter  it  as  readily  as  a  hog  or  an  ox. 

THE    EACCOON. 

The  Raccoon  is  allied  to  the  Bear  family.  It  is  found  only 
on  the  Western  Continent,  where  it  is  represented  by  two 
species :  the  Common  Raccoon  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
Crab-eating  Raccoon  of  the  tropics.  The  former  is  spread 
over  the  greater  part  of  North  America  from  Texas  to  Hud- 
son's Bay.  On  the  Pacific  coast  it  has  been  seen  as  far  north 


CAPTURE  OF  ANIMALS.  51 

as  sixty  degrees.  The  Crab-eating  species  is  found  from  Cal- 
ifornia and  Texas  to  the  26th  degree  of  south  latitude. 

The  Common  Raccoon  is  the  one  of  principal  interest  to 
the  trapper  and  fur-dealer.  Its  body  is  about  two  feet  long, 
and  is  thick  and  stout  like  the  badger's.  Its  head  resembles 
that  of  the  fox.  Its  tail  is  about  a  foot  long,  large,  and 
bushy.  The  color  of  the  whole  is  grayish  white,  streaked 
and  barred  with  darker  colors.  In  some  of  the  Western 
States  the  Raccoon  is  of  altogether  a  darker  color,  sometimes 
approaching  to  black.  The  Raccoon  is  nocturnal  and  omnivo- 
rous in  its  habits,  and  hibernates  like  the  bear.  It  feeds  on 
nuts,  green  corn,  eggs,  mice,  frogs,  turtles,  fish,  shell-fish, 
birds,  &c.,  and  frequently  makes  havoc  in  the  poultry-yard. 
It  is  an  excellent  swimmer,  and  is  fond  of  rambling  about 
small  streams  and  marshes  in  search  of  frogs,  shell-fish,  and 
turtles.  It  is  also  a  good  climber,  and  generally  lives  and 
rears  its  young  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  with  the  entrance  at 
a  considerable  height  from  the  ground.  Its  breeding  season 
is  in  April  or  May,  and  from  four  to  six  young  are  brought 
forth  at  a  time. 

Raccoons  are  sometimes  taken  by  secreting  traps  in  the 
paths  which  they  make  into  corn-fields.  Or  traps  may  be  set 
by  the  side  of  streams  where  they  resort.  In  this  case  they 
should  be  baited  with  fresh  fish  ;  or,  as  some  prefer,  with  salt 
cod-fish,  roasted  to  give  it  a  strong  smell.  They  are  not  very 
cunning ;  and  with  their  acute  sense  of  smell,  and  their  keen 
appetite  for  such  provender,  they  rarely  pass  a  trap  thus  baited 
without  being  taken. 

THE    BADGER. 

This  animal  also  belongs  to  the  bear  family.  It  is  found 
in  America,  Europe,  and  Asia.  Four  species  are  recognized : 
the  American  Badger,  the  common  Badger  of  Europe,  the 
Indian  Badger,  and  the  Anakuma  Badger  of  Japan.  The 
European  species  is  the  most  important  in  the  fur-trade,  fur- 
nishing 53,000  out  of  the  55,000  skins  which  annually  find 
their  way  into  the  fur-markets. 

Though  spread   over  a  large   portion   of  the  globe,  the 


52  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

Badger  is  nowhere  numerous,  except  in  a  few  localities  on 
this  Continent.  It  is  omnivorous,  feeding  chiefly  on  roots, 
fruits,  insects,  and  frogs.  It  also  destroys  the  eggs  and  young 
of  partridges,  and  other  birds  which  build  their  nests  on  the 
ground.  It  is  fond  of  the  nests  of  wild  bees,  which  it  seeks 
out  and  robs  with  impunity,  its  tough  hide  being  comparatively 
impervious  to  the  stings  of  these  insects.  The  Badger  is  a 
quiet,  inoffensive  animal,  except  when  attacked,  when  it  is 
a  terrible  antagonist  to  the  dog  or  man  who  comes  in  contact 
with  its  sharp  teeth  and  formidable  jaws.  Its  length  is  about 
two  feet  six  inches  from  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail.  The 
tail  is  short.  The  head  is  small,  flat,  and  has  a  long  snout. 
The  height  at  the  shoulder  is  about  eleven  inches.  The  body 
is  broad  and  flat,  as  though  compressed.  The  legs  are  sturdy 
and  powerful.  The  feet,  before  and  behind,  have  each  five 
toes  strongly  set  in  the  flesh,  and  armed  with  powerful,  com- 
pressed claws,  adapted  to  burrowing  in  the  ground,  digging 
for  roots,  and  unearthing  the  marmot,  ground-squirrel,  and 
other  small,  burrowing  animals. 

The  Badger  chooses  the  most  solitary  woods  for  its  resi- 
dence. It  lives  in  burrows,  where  it  makes  its  nest  and  rears 
its  young.  When  pursued,  it  commences  digging  in  the 
earth,  and,  if  pressed  too  closely  to  be  able  to  hide  by  burrow- 
ing, it  makes  a  hole  large  enough  to  cover  its  body,  backs  into 
it,  and  faces  its  pursuers  with  claws  drawn  in  an  attitude  of 
defiance ;  and  woe  to  the  dog  that  attempts  to  dislodge  it  from 
its  fort!  If  it  has  time  to  get  its  body  fairly  buried,  it  is  se- 
cure from  any  dog,  or  even  a  man  with  a  shovel,  as  it  digs  so 
rapidly  that  it  will  work  its  way  into  the  earth  faster  than  dog 
or  man  can  follow. 

The  fur  of  the  Badger,  when  properly  dressed,  is  said  to 
make  the  best  pistol  furniture,  and  the  coarser  hairs  are  used 
for  the  fine  brushes  of  the  oil-painter.  The  hairs  of  the  upper 
part  of  the  Badger's  body  individually  have  three  distinct 
colors  :  yellowish-white  at  the  root,  black  in  the  middle,  and 
ashy-gray  at  the  end.  This  gives  a  uniform  sandy-gray  color 
to  all  the  upper  parts.  The  tail  is  furnished  with  long,  coarse 
hair  of  the  same  color  and  quality.  The  throat,  under  parts, 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  53 

and  legs  are  covered  with  shorter  hair  of  a  uniform  deep- 
black. 

The  female  Badger  brings  forth  from  three  to  five  young 
in  the  early  spring,  suckles  them  for  five  or  six  weeks,  and 
then  turns  them  off  to  shift  for  themselves. 

The  American  Badger  differs  considerably  from  the  Euro- 
pean species,  to  which  the  foregoing  description  applies.  Its 
snout  is  less  attenuated,  though  its  head  is  equally  long.  The 
claws  of  its  fore-feet  are  much  longer  in  proportion,  and  its 
tail  shorter.  Its  fur,  both  in  color  and  quality,  is  different. 
It  is  also  more  carnivorous.  Audubon  describes  its  color  and 
fur  as  follows :  u  Hair  on  the  back,  at  the  roots  dark-gray, 
then  light-yellow  for  two  thirds  its  length,  then  black  and 
broadly  tipped  with  white,  giving  it  in  winter  a  hoary-gray 
appearance  ;  but  in  summer  it  makes  a  near  approach  to 
yellowish-brown.  The  eyes  are  bright,  and  piercing  black. 
....  There  is  a  white  stripe  running  from  the  nose  over 
the  forehead  and  along  the  middle  of  the  neck  to  the  shoul- 
der. Legs,  blackish-brown  ;  chin  and  throat,  dull-white ;  the 
remainder  of  the  under  surface,  yellowish-white  ;  tail,  yellow- 
ish-brown." The  fur  on  the  back  in  winter  is  three  inches 
long,  dense  and  handsome.  The  body  is  broad,  low,  and  flat. 

The  American  Badger  is  abundant  on  the  plains  of  the  buf- 
falo region  of  Dakotah  and  Nebraska,  and  in  the  timberless 
regions  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Yakima  River,  Washing- 
ton Territory.  It  is  not  found  east  of  the  Mississippi.  It 
has  been  traced  as  far  north  as  latitude  fifty-eight  degrees, 
and  south  into  Mexico,  where  a  distinct  variety  is  found. 

Badgers  can  be  taken  by  setting  traps  at  the  mouths  of 
their  holes,  or  by  the  method  prescribed  on  a  preceding  page 
for  taking  the  raccoon.  The  trap  should  be  carefully  con- 
cealed, as  the  Badger  is  somewhat  cunning,  and  disposed  to 
be  suspicious  of  such  apparatus  near  his  haunts. 

THE    WILD    CAT    OR    BAY    LYNX. 

The  American  Wild  Cat  is  a  species  of  lynx.  It  is  about 
thirty  inches  long,  with  a  tail  of  five  or  six  inches,  and  weighs 
from  seventeen  to  twenty  pounds.  Its  general  color  above 


54  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

and  on  the  sides  is  a  pale  reddish  brown,  overlaid  with  gray- 
ish ;  the  latter  color  most  prevalent  in  spring  and  summer. 
The  throat  is  surrounded  with  a  ruff  or  collar  of  long  hair. 
The  under  parts  are  light-colored  and  spotted.  On  the  side* 
are  a  few  obscure  dark  spots,  and  indistinct  longitudinal  lines 
along  the  middle  of  the  back.  The  tail  is  marked  with  a 
small  black  patch  above  at  the  end,  and  with  half  rings  on  its 
upper  surface.  The  inner  surface  of  the  ear  is  black,  with 
white  patch.  The  legs  are  long,  the  soles  of  the  feet  naked, 
and  the  hind-feet  are  partially  webbed.  The  fur  is  moder- 
ately full  and  soft.  The  ears  have  a  pencil  of  dark  hairs  in 
winter. 

A  variety  of  the  American  Wild  Cat  exists  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  which  was  called  by  the  early  settlers  in 
that  region  the  Red  Cat.  Its  color  is  somewhat  darker  than 
the  common  variety,  being  a  rich  chestnut-brown  on  the 
back  ;  sides  and  throat,  a  little  paler.  Fur  soft  and  full. 

The  Wild  Cat  is  cowardly,  rarely  attacking  any  thing  larger 
than  a  hare  or  young  pig  or  lamb.  The  pioneer's  henroost 
sometimes  suffers  from  its  nocturnal  visitations.  It  feeds  on 
grouse,  partridges,  squirrels,  mice,  and'  other  small  birds  and 
quadrupeds.  It  is  fond  of  the  dark,  thick  cedar  swamps, 
where  it  preys  on  rabbits,  pouncing  on  them  from  an  over- 
hanging cliff  or  tree.  In  the  Southern  States,  it  frequents  the 
swamps  and  canebrakes  bordering  on  rivers  and  lakes,  and  also 
the  briery  thickets  which  grow  up  on  old  fields  and  deserted 
cotton  lands.  In  dry  seasons,  or  during  the  sultry  weather 
of  summer,  it  explores  the  courses  of  small  streams,  to  feed 
on  the  fish  that  are  left  in  the  deep  holes  as  the  water  dries 
up. 

Wild  Cats  are  taken  in  the  same  way  as  raccoons  or  minks, 
by  baiting  with  meat,  and  covering  the  trap  smoothly  over. 
The  best  way  is  to  find  a  place  where  they  have  killed  a  hare, 
grouse,  or  other  game,  and  have  left  a  part  of  the  flesh  for  a 
second  meal.  Set  your  trap  there,  and  you  will  be  pretty 
sure  of  a  visit. 

The  European  Wild  Cat  is  a  distinct  animal  from  the  Bay 
Lynx.  Goodrich,  in  his  "  Illustrated  Natural  History,"  gives 


CAPTURE   OF   ANIMALS.  55 

the  following  account  of  this  Cat  and  of  its  relations  to  the 
common  Cat :  — 

"  There  are  many  kinds  of  Wild  Cat,  but  that  from  which  the  do- 
mestic Cat  is  supposed  to  have  sprung  is  called  the  Common  Euro- 
pean Wild  Cat,  and  is  found  in  most  parts  of  that  quarter  of  the 
globe,  as  well  as  in  Asia  and  Africa ;  it  is  also  sometimes  met  with 
in  this  country.  When  America  was  first  discovered,  this  species^ 
either  tame  or  wild,  was  not  found  here ;  all  our  domestic  Cats,  as 
well  as  the  wild  ones  occasionally  found  in  the  woods,  are  the  de- 
scendants of  those  brought  hither  by  the  Europeans.  The  Wild  Cats 
of  the  European  Continent  are  either  the  descendants  of  the  original 
races  that  have  continued  untamed  from  the  beginning,  or  of  domes- 
ticated cats  that  have  wandered  from  their  homes,  and,  living  apart 
from  man,  have  relapsed  into  barbarism.  It  is  said  that  the  wild 
and  tame  Cats,  in  their  wanderings,  sometimes  meet ;  when  this  is 
the  case,  the  females  of  the  tame  breed  are  well  treated  by  the  sav- 
age Cats,  but  the  males  are  rudely  set  upon  and  sometimes  torn  in 
pieces.  The  wild  and  tame  Cats  sometimes  breed  together,  and  pro- 
duce the  kind  called  Tiger  Cats.  Some  authors  hold  that  the  Wild 
Cat  is  a  distinct  species,  because  its  tail  is  shorter  and  more  bushj 
than  that  of  the  domestic  Cat  ;  but  this  opinion  seems  not  well 
founded,  for  still  greater  differences  are  found  in  dogs  which  are  ac- 
knowledged to  be  of  the  same  race." 

The  European  Wild  Cat  is  common  in  France,  Germany, 
Russia,  Hungary,  and  some  other  parts  of  Europe,  and  is 
found  in  Northern  Asia  and  Nepaul.  It  was  formerly  found 
in  England,  and  a  few  yet  linger  among  the  hills  of  Scotland. 
It  resembles  the  tame  Cat,  but  is  rather  larger  and  more  ro- 
bust, and  has  a  more  savage  aspect.  Its  fur  is  long,  soft,  and 
thick.  Its  color  is  gray,  darker  on  the  back  than  below,  with 
a  blackish  stripe  along  the  back  and  paler  curved  stripes  on 
the  sides.  It  is  a  very  shy  animal ;  lurks  in  the  woods  and 
preys  on  hares,  squirrels,  and  birds,  and  is  for  the  most  part 
nocturnal  in  its  habits.  It  makes  its  home  in  clefts  among 
rocks  or  in  hollow  trees.  The  female  brings  forth  from  three 
to  six  young  at  a  time.  A  full-grown  male  is  about  two  feet 
and  a  half  long  from  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail ;  with  a 
tail  of  considerable  length.  The  female  is  smaller. 


56  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

This  Wild  Cat  is  of  great  strength,  and  when  pursued  and 
hard  pressed  exhibits  daring  and  ferocity  in  an  extraordinary 
degree.  When  caught  in  a  trap  they  fly  without  hesitation 
at  an}'  person  who  approaches  them,  without  waiting  to  be 
assailed.  The  directions  given  for  trapping  the  American 
Wild  Cat  are  appropriate  for  the  capture  of  this  species.  St. 
tfohn,  the  author  of  a  work  on  "  Highland  Sports,"  gives  the 
following  plan  for  taking  them  :  "  Like  other  vermin,  the 
Wild  Cat  haunts  the  shores  of  the  lakes  and  rivers,  and  it  is, 
therefore,  easy  to  know  where  to  lay  a  trap  for  them.  Hav- 
ing caught  and  killed  one  of  the  colony,  the  rest  of  them  are 
sure  to  be  taken,  if  the  body  of  their  slain  relative  is  left  in 
some  place  not  far  from  their  usual  hunting-ground,  and  sur- 
rounded with  traps,  as  every  Wild  Cat  who  passes  within  a 
considerable  distance  of  the  place  will  surely  come  to  it." 

THE   LYNX. 

There  are  several  species  of  Lynx.  The  Canada  Lynx 
and  the  European  Lynx  are  the  most  important  to  the  trapper 
and  fur-dealer.  The  former  inhabits  North  America  from 
the  latitude  of  Northern  New  York  to  the  northern  limits  of 
the  woods,  or  within  the  Arctic  Circle.  It  is  not  found  in 
the  Mississippi  Valley,  but  occurs  west  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  is  supposed  to  exist  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Asia. 
Its  size  is  between  that  of  a  fox  and  a  wolf.  Its  length  from 
the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  tip  of  the  tail  is  about  three  feet. 
The  tail  is  shorter  than  the  head,  and  is  densely  furred  and 
tipped  with  black.  Its  feet  are  large,  thickly  covered  with 
fur,  and  armed  with  strong  claws.  The  ears  are  pointed,  not 
large,  and  tipped  with  a  pencil  of  long  black  hairs.  The 
color  in  winter  is  a  silver-gray  on  the  back,  paling  towards 
the  belly,  which  is  sometimes  white.  A  rufous  under-shade 
mixes  with  the  tints.  It  has  a  ruff  on  the  sides  of  the  neck 
and  under  the  throat.  In  winter  its  fur  is  long  and  silky. 
The  average  weight  of  this  Lynx  is  about  twenty-five  pounds. 

The  Canada  Lynx  lives  in  the  darkest  woods  and  swamps, 
preying  on  hares,  mice,  squirrels,  grouse,  and  smaller  birds, 
and  rarely  attacking  the  deer.  When  pressed  with  hunger 


CAPTURE   OF   ANIMALS.  57 

it  prowls  about  the  pioneer's  cabin  in  search  of  lambs,  pigs, 
and  poultry.  It  is  an  active  climber,  and  frequently  seizes 
its  prey  by  pouncing  upon  it  from  an  overhanging  tree  ;  at 
other  times  it  crawls  stealthily  like  a  cat  within  springing  dis- 
tance, or  leaps  upon  it  from  a  cliff.  It  pursues  birds  to  the 
tops  of  the  loftiest  trees,  and  kills  fish  in  the  streams.  It  also 
feeds  on  carrion,  and,  when  pressed  with  hunger,  on  its  own 
kind.  It  is  said  to  have  a  strong  passion  for  perfumes,  par- 
ticularly the  castoreum  of  the  beaver.  This  is  the  principal 
scent  or  "  medicine  "  used  by  trappers  in  capturing  the  Lynx. 
The  female  brings  forth  generally  two  young  ones  at  a  time, 
and  hides  them  in  hollow  trees  or  caves  till  they  are  large 
enough  to  follow  her. 

The  Canada  Lynx  is  a  stupid  animal  and  easily  caught.  It 
readily  enters  a  trap  that  is  properly  set  and  baited  with  meat. 
The  general  directions  already  given  for  trapping  various  car- 
nivorous animals  are  applicable  in  this  case.  The  Hudson's 
Bay  Company's  trappers  practice  the  following  method,  ac- 
cording to  Bernard  Rogan  Ross :  The  trap  is  covered,  inside 
the  jaws,  with  a  well-fitting  "  pallet "  of  birch  bark.  On  the 
pallet  a  piece  of  hair  skin,  well  rubbed  with  the  u  medicine  " 
or  scent,  is  tied.  The  trap  is  then  placed  indifferently  either 
under  or  on  the  snow.  The  Lynx,  scenting  his  favorite  per- 
fume, endeavors  to  withdraw  the  skin  with  his  paw,  and  con- 
sequently springs  the  trap.  It  does  not,  like  most  of  the  fur- 
bearing  animals,  make  violent  efforts  to  escape,  or  drag  the 
trap  to  a  distance ;  it  generally  lies  down  until  aroused  by  the 
approach  of  the  hunter,  when,  instead  of  attempting  to  escape 
by  flight,  it  springs  at  him. 

The  European  Lynx  closely  resembles  the  Canada  species ; 
its  habits  are  also  similar.  Its  fur  is  valuable.  Its  general 
color  is  a  dull  reddish  gray  above,  whitish  below,  mottled  with 
black.  On  the  sides  are  dark  oblong  patches.  In  winter  the 
fur  is  longer  and  lighter-colored  than  in  summer.  The  keen- 
ness of  its  sight  has  long  been  proverbial.  It  is  found  from 
the  Pyrenees  to  the  far  North,  and  throughout  Northern  Asia. 
The  directions  given  for  trapping  the  Canada  Lynx  are  suffi- 
cient in  the  case  of  this  species. 


68  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

THE    COUGAR    OB    AMERICAN    PANTHER. 

This  animal  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  cat  family  that 
exists  on  the  Western  Continent,  being  rivaled  only  by  the 
jaguar.  It  inhabits  every  latitude  from  Canada  to  Patagonia. 
In  different  localities  it  receives  different  names  and  varies 
somewhat  in  size.  In  the  United  States,  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  it  is  commonly  called  the  Panther,  and  sometimes 
the  Catamount ;  on  the  west  coast  it  is  called  the  California 
Lion  ;  in  South  America  its  common  name  is  Puma.  Cougar, 
however,  is  the  scientific  and  proper  name.  The  true  Pan- 
ther is  confined  to  the  Eastern  Continent ;  and  is  a  variety  of 
the  leopard,  being  found  mostly  in  Asia.  In  the  north, 
Cougars  prefer  for  their  retreat  ledges  of  rock  inaccessible  to 
man,  called  by  hunters  panther  ledges.  They  appear  rarely 
by  daylight,  except  when  pressed  for  food,  but  conceal  them- 
selves behind  rocks  and  fallen  trees  till  evening.  In  South 
America  their  favorite  haunts  are  the  vast  grassy  plains, 
where  they  destroy  great  numbers  of  wild  cattle. 

Full  grown  Panthers  killed  in  northern  New  York  have 
been  known  to  measure  over  eleven  feet  from  the  nose  to  the 
tip  of  the  tail,  being  about  twenty-eight  inches  high,  and 
weighing  nearly  two  hundred  pounds.  Their  color  is  a  red- 
dish-brown above,  shading  into  a  lighter  color  underneath. 
They  are  armed  with  sharp  teeth  and  long,  heavy  claws. 
They  feed  chiefly  on  deer,  crawling  stealthily  to  within 
springing  distance,  or  watching  on  some  cliff  or  tree,  and 
pouncing  like  a  cat  on  their  prey.  Their  activity  enables 
them  to  take  the  deer  with  ease.  It  is  asserted  by  hunters 
that  each  Panther  destroys  as  many  as  two  deer  per  week, 
and  a  pair  of  Panthers  have  been  known  to  attack  and  kill  a 
full-grown  moose.  In  newly  settled  countries,  they  fre- 
quently carry  off  young  cattle  and  sheep.  They  are  good 
climbers  and  readily  take  to  a  tree  when  pursued  by  dogs, 
from  which  they  can  easily  be  brought  down  by  the  rifle. 
This  is  the  most  common  way  of  taking  them.  They  are 
cowardly,  and  rarely  attack  a  man  unless  wounded,  when 
they  are  dangerous. 


\ 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  59 

The  best  way  to  take  Panthers  with  steel-traps  is  to  find 
where  they  have  killed  a  deer  or  other  animal,  and  left  part 
of  the  carcass.  Secrete  the  trap  near  the  remains,  and  you 
will  catch  them  when  they  return  for  a  second  meal.  They 
seldom  leave  the  vicinity  of  an  animal  they  have  killed,  till  it 
is  all  devoured.  The  same  is  true  of  all  the  large  animals  of 
the  cat  kind,  such  as  the  lion,  tiger,  leopard,  jaguar,  &c. 

THE    JAGUAR. 

Like  the  cougar,  this  is  an  exclusively  American  animal. 
Though  scarcely  equalling  the  cougar  in  extreme  length,  the 
Jaguar  is  stouter  and  more  formidable.  It  is  found  from 
Louisiana  to  Buenos  Ayres.  This  animal  has  a  large  head,  a 
robust  body,  and  is  very  ferocious.  Its  usual  size  is  about 
three  fourths  that  of  the  tiger.  Humboldt,  however,  states 
that  he  saw  Jaguars  which  in  length  surpassed  that  of  all  the 
tigers  of  Asia  which  he  had  seen  in  the  collections  of  Europe. 
The  Jaguar  is- sometimes  called  the  American  tiger.  Their 
favorite  haunts  are  the  swamps  and  jungles  of  tropical  Amer- 
ica. There  they  subsist  on  monkeys,  capabyras  or  water- 
hogs,  tapirs,  peccaries,  birds,  turtles  and  turtle  eggs,  lizards, 
fish,  shell-fish,  and  insects.  Emerging  from  these  haunts  into 
the  more  open  country,  they  prey  upon  deer,  horses,  cattle, 
sheep,  and  farm  stock.  In  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of 
South  America  the  Jaguar  was  one  of  the  greatest  scourges 
the  settlers  had  to  meet.  They  haunted  the  clearings  and 
plantations  and  devoured  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  without 
mercy.  Nor  were  the  settlers  themselves  and  their  children 
free  from  their  attack.  For  many  years  where  Jaguars 
abounded  the  settlers  had  an  arduous  warfare  before  they 
could  exterminate  the  ferocious  marauders,  or  drive  them 
from  the  vicinity  of  their  habitations. 

The  Jaguar  is  a  cautious  and  suspicious  animal.  It  never 
makes  an  open  attack  on  man  or  beast.  It  approaches  its 
prey  stealthily,  and  pounces  upon  it  from  some  hiding-place, 
or  some  position  of  advantage.  It  will  follow  a  herd  of  ani- 
mals for  many  miles  in  hopes  of  securing  a  straggler ;  and 
always  chooses  the  hindmost  animal,  in  order  that  if  turned 


60  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

upon,  it  may  escape  with  its  prey  the  more  easily.  In  this 
wa}7  it  pursues  men.  A  Jaguar  has  been  known  to  follow  the 
track  of  travellers  for  days  together,  only  daring  to  show  itself 
at  rare  intervals.  A  full  grown  Jaguar  is  an  animal  of  enor- 
mous strength,  and  will  kill  and  drag  off  a  horse  or  ox  with- 
out difficulty.  They  commit  vast  havoc  among  the  horses 
which  band  together  in  great  herds  on  the  plains  of  South 
America.  Full  grown  colts  and  calves  are  their  favorite  prey. 
Goodrich,  in  his  Natural  History,  describes  their  operations  as 
follows :  "  Frequently  two  Jaguars  will  combine  to  master 
the  more  powerful  brutes.  Some  of  them  lie  in  wait  around 
the  salt-licks,  and  attack  the  animals  that  resort  to  these  places. 
Their  habit  is  to  conceal  themselves  behind  some  bush,  or  on 
the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  :  here  they  will  lie,  silent  and  mo- 
tionless, for  hours,  patiently  waiting  for  their  victims.  When 
they  see  a  deer,  or  a  mule,  or  mustang  approaching,  the  eyes 
dilate,  the  hair  rises  along  the  back,  the  tail  moves  to  and  fro, 
and  every  limb  quivers.  When  the  unsuspecting  prey  comes 
within  his  reach,  the  monster  bounds  like  a  thunderbolt  upon 
him.  He  fixes  his  teeth  in  his  neck  and  his  claws  in  the  loins, 
and  though  the  dismayed  and  aggravated  victim  flies,  and 
rears,  and  essays  to  throw  off  his  terrible  rider,  it  is  all  in 
vain.  His  strength  is  soon  exhausted,  and  he  sinks  to  the 
earth  an  easy  prey  to  his  destroyer.  The  Jaguar,  growling 
and  roaring  in  triumph,  already  tears  his  flesh  while  yet  the 
agonies  of  death  are  upon  him.  When  his  hunger  is  appeased 
he  covers  the  remains  of  the  carcass  with  leaves,  sticks,  and 
earth,  to  protect  them  from  the  vultures  ;  and  either  remains 
watching  near  at  hand  or  retires  for  a  time  till  appetite  revives, 
when  he  returns  to  complete  his  carnival."  The  Jaguar  makes 
its  attack  upon  the  larger  quadrupeds  by  springing  upon  their 
shoulders.  Then  placing  one  paw  on  the  back  of  the  head 
and  another  on  the  muzzle,  with  a  single  wrench  it  dislocates 
the  neck.  The  smaller  animals  it  lays  dead  with  a  stroke  of 
its  paw. 

The  Jaguar  in  external  appearance  and  in  habits  closely 
resembles  the  leopard  of  the  Old  World.  The  female  pro- 
duces two  at  a  birth.  The  ground  color  of  a  full-grown 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  61 

animal  is  yellow,  marked  with  open  figures  of  a  rounded-an- 
gular form.  In  each  of  these  figures  are  one  or  more  black 
spots.  The  figures  are  arranged  longitudinally  and  nearly 
parallel  along  the  body.  The  belly  is  almost  white.  There 
is  considerable  variation  in  color  among  Jaguars,  some  being 
very  dark  or  almost  black,  with  indistinct  markings.  The 
richly  tinted  skins  are  highly  valued,  and  are  exported  to 
Europe  in  large  numbers,  where  they  are  used  by  the  mili- 
tary officers  for  saddle  coverings. 

For  capturing  the  Jaguar  in  steel-traps  the  directions  given 
for  trapping  the  cougar  should  be  followed. 

THE   LION. 

The  principal  habitat  of  the  Lion  is  in  Africa.  Some  also 
exist  in  Asia,  but  nowhere  else.  There  are  three  African 
varieties  —  the  Black,  the  Red  or  Tawny,  and  the  Gray.  In 
Asia  the  dark-colored  Bengal,  the  light-colored  Persian  or 
Arabian,  and  the  Maneless  Lions  exist.  A  full-grown  Lion, 
in  its  native  wilds,  is  usually  four  feet  in  height  at  the  shoul- 
ders, and  about  eleven  feet  long  from  the  nose  to  the  tip  of 
the  tail.  He  is  of  great  strength  and  ferocity,  and  is  commonly 
called  the  "  king  of  beasts."  Lions  belong  to  the  cat  family, 
and  prey  upon  all  animals  they  can  master.  They  approach 
their  prey  stealthily,  like  a  cat  hunting  a  mouse,  and  spring 
upon  it  unawares.  Human  beings  are  not  exempt  from  their 
attack,  but  form  their  most  coveted  prey  when  once  an  appe- 
tite for  human  flesh  has  been  established.  In  Africa  they 
hang  round  the  villages,  and  carry  off  every  man,  woman,  or 
child  they  can  secure,  and  make  great  havoc  among  all  kinds 
of  domestic  animals.  Ge*rard,  the  French  Lion-hunter  of 
North  Africa,  estimates  that  the  average  length  of  life  of  the 
Lion  is  thirty-five  to  forty  years ;  and  that  he  kills,  or  con- 
sumes, year  by  year,  horses,  mules,  horned  cattle,  camels, 
and  sheep,  to  the  value  of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  Taking 
the  average  of  his  life,  which  is  thirty-five  years,  each  Lion 
costs  the  Arabs  of  that  country  forty-two  thousand  dollars. 
The  Lion  is  mostly  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  hunting  its  prey 
and  satisfying  its  appetite  during  the  night,  and  sleeping  and 


62  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

digesting  its  food  during  the  day.  The  Lioness  is  smaller  than 
the  male,  and  brings  forth  from  one  to  three  young  at  a  time, 
about  the  beginning  of  the  year.  Lions  are  not  numerous  in 
Asia,  and  are  steadily  growing  less  so  in  Africa.  They  are 
now  seldom  found  near  the  coasts  of  that  Continent.  Wher- 
ever the  white  man  appears  he  wages  relentless  warfare  against 
the  "  king  of  beasts."  Its  favorite  haunts  are  the  plains  rather 
than  the  forests,  and  it  is  content  with  the  shelter  of  a  few 
bushes  or  low  jungle.  They  sometimes  hunt  in  troops  — 
several  attacking  a  herd  of  zebras,  or  other  animals,  in  con- 
cert. Their  strength  is  very  great,  and  one  has  been  known 
to  carry  a  horse  a  distance  of  a  mile  from  where  he  had  killed 
it.  Their  most  common  prey  are  the  deer  and  antelope  which 
abound  on  the  plains  of  Africa  and  in  India.  The  zebra,  the 
quagga,  and  the  buffalo  are  their  frequent  victims. 

The  directions  already  given  for  taking  the  cougar  with  the 
steel-trap  are  adapted  to  the  Lion.  It  may  also  be  taken  by 
setting  a  trap  near  its  haunts  and  baiting  it  with  a  dead  sheep 
or  other  animal.  Great  care  must  be  taken  to  thoroughly 
secrete  the  trap,  as  the  Lion  is  a  very  suspicious  and  intelli- 
gent beast.  It  is  said  that  when  a  Lion  is  killed,  all  others 
retire  from  and  avoid  that  immediate  vicinity.  The  Lion  is 
not  a  fastidious  feeder.  While,  on  the  one  hand,  he  likes  to 
strike  down  a  living  animal  and  suck  the  hot  blood  from  its 
body,  on  the  other,  he  will  devour  any  dead  animal  he  may 
find,  whether  fresh  or  otherwise.  u  So  thoroughly  is  this  the 
case,"  says  Wood,  "  that  Lion-hunters  are  in  the  habit  of  de- 
coying their  mighty  game  by  means  of  dead  antelopes  or  oxen, 
which  they  lay  near  some  water-spring,  knowing  well  that  the 
Lions  are  sure  to  seize  so  excellent  an  opportunity  of  satis- 
fying at  the  same  time  the  kindred  appetites  of  thirst  and 
hunger." 

THE    TIGER. 

If  the  lion  is  the  scourge  of  Africa,  the  Tiger  holds  that 
place  in  India  and  Southern  Asia.  The  Royal  Tiger  of  India 
rivals  the  lion  in  size,  strength,  ferocity,  and  activity,  and 
excels  him  in  beauty  of  form  and  color,  and  grace  of  move- 
ment. The  Tiger  is  of  great  size,  measuring  in  the  largest 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  63 

specimens,  four  feet  in  height,  four  feet  eight  inches  in  girth, 
and  thirteen  feet  six  inches  in  total  length.  Its  color  is  a 
tawny  yellow,  with  transverse,  dark-colored  or  black  stripes. 
The  under  parts,  the  chest  and  throat,  and  the  long  tufts  of 
hair  on  each  side  of  the  face  are  nearly  white,  and  the  mark- 
ings on  these  parts  are  indistinct.  The  general  make  of  the 
Tiger  is  a  little  more  slender  than  that  of  the  lion.  Their 
haunts  are  the  forests  and  jungles,  and  they  prey  upon  all  ani- 
mals which  come  within  their  reach  and  power.  They  are  of 
amazing  strength  and  often  bound  upon  their  prey  by  a  single 
leap  of  fifty  feet.  The  Indian  buffalo,  which  is  as  large  as  an 
ox,  is  killed  and  dragged  off  by  the  Tiger  without  difficulty. 
The  female  has  from  three  to  five  young  at  a  birth,  which  she 
defends  with  great  fierceness.  The  range  of  the  Tiger  is  con- 
fined to  Asia,  and  to  certain  districts  of  that  Continent.  Some 
sections  are  terribly  infested  with  them,  and  the  inhabitants 
are  kept  in  a  state  of  terror  by  their  depredations.  They  are 
common  in  the  wilds  of  Hindostan,  in  various  parts  of  Central 
Asia,  even  as  far  north  as  the  Amoor  River,  and  are  also 
found  on  some  of  the  large  Asiatic  Islands.  Portions  of 
Sumatra  are  so  infested  with  them  as  to  be  almost  depopulated. 
Here  and  in  some  parts  of  India,  the  Tiger  is  protected  by 
the  superstition  of  the  people,  who  regard  it  as  a  sacred  ani- 
mal, animated  by  the  souls  of  their  dead  ancestors,  and  none 
are  killed  but  the  "  Man-eaters." 

Wood  in  his  Natural  History  gives  the  following  description 
of  the  habits  of  the  Tiger :  — 

"  When  seeking  its  prey,  it  never  appears  to  employ  openly  that 
active  strength  which  would  seem  so  sure  to  attain  its  end,  but 
creeps  stealthily  towards  the  object,  availing  itself  of  every  cover, 
until  it  can  spring  upon  the  destined  victim.  Like  the  lion,  it  has 
often  been  known  to  stalk  an  unconscious  animal,  crawling  after 
it  as  it  moves  along,  and  following  its  steps  in  hopes  of  gaining  a 
nearer  approach.  It  has  even  been  known  to  stalk  human  beings  in 
this  fashion,  the  Tiger  in  question  being  one  of  those  terrible  ani- 
mals called  'Man-eaters,'  on  account  of  their  destructive  propen- 
sities. It  is  said  that  there  is  an  outward  change  caused  in  the  Tiger 
by  the  indulgence  of  this  man-slaying  habit,  and  that  a  «  Man-eater ' 


64  THE   TRAPPER'S   ART. 

can  be  distinguished  from  any  other  Tiger  by  the  darker  tint  of  the 
skin,  and  a  redness  in  the  cornea  of  the  eyes.  Not  even  the  Man- 
eating  Tiger  dares  an  open  assault,  but  crawls  insidiously  towards  his 
prey,  preferring,  as  does  the  lion,  the  defenceless  women  and  children 
as  the  object  of  attack,  and  leaving  alone  the  men,  who  are  seldom 
without  arms. 

"  The  Tiger  is  very  clever  in  selecting  spots  from  whence  it  can 
watch  the  approach  of  its  intended  prey,  itself  being  couched  under 
the  shade  of  foliage  or  behind  the  screen  of  some  friendly  rock.  It 
is  fond  of  lying  in  wait  by  the  side  of  moderately  frequented  roads, 
more  particularly  choosing  those  spots  where  the  shade  is  the 
deepest,  and  where  water  may  be  found  at  hand  wherewith  to 
quench  the  thirst  that  it  always  feels  when  consuming  its  prey. 
From  such  a  point  of  vantage  it  will  leap  with  terrible  effect, 
seldom  making  above  a  single  spring  and,  as  a  rule,  always  being 
felt  before  it  is  seen  or  heard. 

"  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Tiger  generally  takes  up  his  post  on 
the  side  of  the  road  which  is  opposite  his  lair,  so  that  he  has  no  need 
to  turn  and  drag  his  prey  across  the  road,  but  proceeds  forward  with 
his  acquisition  to  his  den.  Should  the  Tiger  miss  his  leap,  he  gen- 
erally seems  bewildered  and  ashamed  of  himself,  and  instead  of  re- 
turning to  the  spot,  for  a  second  attempt,  sneaks  off  discomfited  from 
the  scene  of  his  humiliation.  The  spots  where  there  is  most  danger 
of  meeting  a  Tiger,  are  the  crossings  of  nullahs,  or  the  deep  ravines 
through  which  the  water-courses  run.  In  these  localities  the  Tiger 
is  sure  to  find  his  two  essentials,  cover  and  water.  So  apathetic  are 
the  natives,  and  so  audacious  are  the  Tigers,  that  at  some  of  these 
crossings  a  man  or  a  bullock  may  be  carried  off  daily,  and  yet  no 
steps  will  be  taken  to  avert  the  danger,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
amulets  suspended  about  the  person.  Sometimes  the  Tigers  seem 
to  take  a  panic,  and  make  a  general  emigration,  leaving,  without  any 
apparent  reason,  the  spots  which  they  had  long  infested,  and  making 
a  sudden  appearance  in  some  locality  where  they  had  but  seldom  be- 
fore been  seen 

"  There  is  a  certain  bushy  shrub,  called  the  korinda,  which  is 
specially  affected  by  the  Tigers  on  account  of  the  admirable  cover 
which  its  branches  afford.  It  does  not  grow  to  any  great  height,  but 
its  branches  are  thickly  leaved,  and  droop  over  in  such  a  manner  that 
they  form  a  dark  arch  of  foliage,  under  which  the  animal  may  creep, 
and  so  lie  hidden  from  prying  eyes,  and  guarded  from  the  unwelcome 
light  and  heat  of  the  noonday  sun.  So  fond  are  the  Tigers  of  this 


CAPTURE   OF   ANIMALS.  65 

mode  of  concealment  that  the  hunters  always  direct  their  steps  to 
the  korinda-bush,  knowing  well  that  if  a  Tiger  should  be  in  the 
neighborhood,  it  would  be  tolerably  certain  to  be  lying  under  the 
sombre  shade  of  the  korinda  branches." 

There  are  a  number  of  modes  adopted  by  the  natives  of 
Asia,  for  killing  the  Tiger,  such  as  spring-bows  armed  with 
poisoned  arrows,  nets,  cages  with  trap-doors,  enticing  them 
into  locations  where  they  can  be  shot,  &c.  ;  but  they  are  all 
inferior  to  the  steel-trap.  This  instrument  should  be  intro- 
duced wherever  this  lurking  marauder  abounds.  The  habit 
of  returning  to  the  unfinished  carcass  of  the  beast  it  has  slain 
or  found,  which  I  have  already  noticed  as  pertaining  to  the 
cat  family,  is  very  strong  in  the  Tiger,  and  can  be  taken 
advantage  of  in  trapping  them,  in  the  same  manner  as  de- 
scribed for  the  lion  and  cougar.  The  trap  should  be  set 
near  the  hind  parts  of  the  carcass,  as  the  Tiger  always  be- 
gins with  those  parts  and  eats  toward  the  head.  They  may 
also  be  taken  by  setting  traps  along  the  paths  which  they 
make  through  the  jungle  near  their  lairs.  In  all  cases  the 
traps  should  be  carefully  secreted.  A  Tiger  is  easily  killed 
with  a  bullet.  Next  to  the  brain  and  heart,  the  lungs  and 
liver  are  its  most  mortal  parts.  A  Tiger  when  struck  by  a  bul- 
let in  the  liver  generally  dies  within  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 
If  once  wounded  anywhere  they  usually  die,  though  perhaps 
not  immediately.  From  some  unknown  cause  a  wound  on 
a  Tiger  very  soon  assumes  an  angry  appearance,  becomes, 
tainted  and  the  abode  of  maggots,  and  finally  proves  fatal. 
This  tendency  to  putrefaction  in  the  Tiger,  renders  it  neces- 
sary that  they  should  be  skinned  immediately  after  they  are 
killed  if  the  preservation  of  the  skin  is  any  object.  Especially 
should  the  Tiger  be  removed  out  of  the  sunshine,  instantly 
after  it  is  slain.  A  delay  of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  will  often- 
ruin  the  skin  by  the  loosening  of  the  hair  from  putrefaction. 
The  skin  after  being  removed  should  be  at  once  stretched,  and 
treated  with  a  very  strong  solution  of  salt,  alum,  and  catechu.. 

Several  other  large  animals  of  the  cat  kind  are  found  in 
Asia  and  Africa,  such  as  the  Leopard,  the  Ounce,  the  Riman- 


66  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

Dihan  or  Tree-Tiger,  &c.  They  are  all  carnivorous  and  of 
similar  habits,  and  should  be  trapped  on  the  same  general 
principles  as  the  tiger  and  cougar.  Of  these  animals,  the 
Leopard  is  the  most  formidable  and  destructive.  It  is  found 
in  both  Asia  and  Africa,  but  in  greatest  numbers  in  the  latter 
country.  It  is  much  smaller  than  the  tiger,  but  of  extraor- 
dinary strength  for  its  size.  It  does  not  usually  attack  man, 
unless  wounded  or  pursued.  It  is  very  destructive  among  the 
herds  of  domestic  animals,  antelope,  deer,  and  monkeys.  It 
is  celebrated  for  the  beauty  of  its  skin  and  the  agility  and 
grace  of  its  movements.  Its  haunts  are  the  forests  where 
thick,  high  undergrowth  prevails. 

THE    WOLVERENE. 

This  animal  is  found  throughout  a  large  part  of  British 
America,  and  in  some  of  the  wildest  portions  of  the  Northern 
States.  It  is  about  three  feet  long  from  the  nose  to  the  root 
of  the  tail,  and  has  a  tail  fourteen  inches  in  length.  In  gen- 
eral appearance  and  movements  it  resembles  the  bear,  while 
its  head  bears  a  strong  likeness  to  that  of  the  fisher  except 
that  the  muzzle  is  shorter.  The  habits  and  food  of  the  Wol- 
verene are  much  like  those  of  the  marten.  They  hunt  hares, 
mice,  birds,  and  kill  disabled  deer.  They  are  powerfully 
built  and  possess  great  strength.  Their  prevailing  color  is 
dark  brown  on  the  back  and  under  parts.  A  broad  stripe  of 
yellowish  brown  sweeps  along  each  side  and  ends  at  the  root 
of  the  tail.  The  legs  and  feet  are  black.  Stripes  and  patches 
of  black  and  yellow  occur  on  the  under  parts.  The  fur  is 
long,  soft,  and  tolerably  fine,  overlaid  with  larger  and  coarser 
hairs,  which  are  about  three  inches  long  on  the  rump  but 
shorter  in  front.  The  Wolverene  is  a  great  mischief-maker 
for  the  trapper  in  the  regions  where  it  dwells,  especially  the 
marten- trappers  of  British  America,  who  use  the  old-fashioned 
41  dead-fall."  One  of  these  animals  will  follow  a  line  of  traps 
for  miles,  tearing  them  down,  devouring  bait  and  the  animals 
that  have  been  caught.  They  are  also  very  troublesome  in 
destroying  caches  of  provisions.  On  account  of  its  destruc- 
tive propensities,  and  great  cunning  and  sagacity,  the  Indians 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  67 

call  the  Wolverene  the  Evil  One  or  Devil.  They  are  seldom 
caught  in  traps,  and  the  most  successful  way  of  destroying 
them  is  said  to  be  by  strychnine. 

THE  OPOSSUM. 

This  animal  inhabits  the  warmer  parts  of  the  United  States, 
and  several  species  of  it  are  said  to  exist  also  in  Australia. 
In  form  it  somewhat  resembles  the  common  house  rat.  Its 
body  is  about  twenty  inches  long,  stoutly  built,  and  its  tail, 
which  is  generally  fifteen  inches  in  length,  is  prehensile,  like 
that  of  some  monkeys,  i.  e.,  capable  of  holding  on  to  any 
thing  that  it  encircles.  The  Opossum  is  five-toed,  and  walks 
on  the  sole  of  its  foot  like  the  bear.  Its  ears  are  large, 
rounded,  and  almost  naked.  The  female  has  from  nine  to 
thirteen  teats,  the  odd  one  being  in  the  centre  of  the  ring 
formed  by  the  rest.  The  fur  is  long,  soft,  and  woolly,  whitish 
at  the  roots,  and  brown  at  the  top.  The  Opossum  is  omniv- 
orous, feeding  on  corn,  nuts,  berries,  roots,  insects,  young 
birds,  eggs,  mice,  &c.  It  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits ;  hiding  in 
the  thick  foliage  of  the  trees  in  the  daytime,  and  seeking  its 
food  by  night.  It  is  an  active  climber,  and  is  said  to  spend 
much  of  its  time  and  even  to  sleep  suspended  from  the  limb 
of  a  tree  by  the  tail !  The  females  are  very  prolific,  producing 
from  nine  to  thirteen  young  at  a  birth,  and  three  or  even  four 
litters  in  a  year.  They  are  provided  with  a  pouch  under  the 
belly,  in  which  they  protect  and  suckle  their  young. 

These  animals  are  trapped  in  the  same  manner  as  the  rac- 
coon and  the  badger,  by  setting  traps  in  their  haunts,  and  bait- 
ing with  any  of  their  favorite  kinds  of  food.  They  have  a 
habit,  when  caught,  of  feigning  death,  and  will  bear  consid- 
erable torture  without  betraying  any  signs  of  life.  This  habit 
doubtless  gave  rise  to  the  common  by-word  which  calls  cer- 
tain kinds  of  deceit  "  playing  'possum." 

THE    SKUNK. 

This  animal,  though  generally  much  despised  in  this  coun- 
try, is  said  to  furnish  the  staple  fur  to  Poland,  and  deserves 
at  least  the  respectful  attention  of  the  trapper.  It  is  related 


THE   TRAPPER'S  ART. 

to  the  weasel.  Its  head  is  small,  with  a  projecting,  naked 
nose,  small,  piercing  eyes,  and  short,  rounded  ears.  The 
body  is  about  eighteen  inches  long ;  the  tail  twelve  or  four- 
teen inches,  and  bushy.  The  feet  are  short,  and  well  adapted 
to  digging,  having  naked  soles  and  closely  united  toes  with 
claws.  The  prevailing  color  is  white  and  black,  some  varie- 
ties being  mostly  white  and  others  mostly  black.  The  fur  of 
the  latter  is  the  most  valuable.  The  Skunk  walks  with  its 
back  much  curved,  and  its  tail  erect,  as  though  proud  of  its 
beauty.  It  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  and  during  the  summer 
months  searches  the  fields  in  the  vicinity  of  its  haunts  every 
night,  feeding  principally  on  worms,  bugs,  and  grasshoppers, 
but  sometimes  devouring  frogs,  mice,  young  birds,  green  corn, 
&c.,  and  occasionally  making  free  with  poultry  and  eggs.  Its 
services  in  clearing  the  farmer's  fields  and  gardens  of  bugs 
and  worms  more  than  pay  for  its  depredations,  and  it  ought  to 
be  regarded  as  a  useful  animal.  Its  breeding  season  is  in 
April  or  May.  From  six  to  nine  young  are  brought  forth  at 
a  litter,  and  are  reared  in  holes  or  among  rocks,  till  they  are 
large  enough  to  shift  for  themselves. 

These  animals  are  taken  in  traps  set  at  the  mouths  of  their 
holes  or  in  the  fields  where  they  search  for  food.  The  trap 
should  be  covered  with  loose  earth  or  soft  vegetable  substances, 
and  should  be  baited  with  small  pieces  of  meat  scattered 
around  it.  They  are  not  cunning,  and  require  no  great  skill 
in  taking  them.  The  great  difficulty  in  trapping  for  them  or 
meddling  with  them  in  any  way  is  in  the  liability  of  catching 
a  charge  of  their  perfumery,  which  is  very  disagreeable,  and 
ruins  all  clothing  that  is  once  impregnated  with  it.  This 
offensive  essence  is  ejected  from  two  glands  near  the  anus  by 
the  contraction  of  the  muscular  coverings,  and  the  only  way 
that  I  know  to  prevent  the  discharge  is  to  approach  the  animal 
in  the  trap  stealthily,  and  give  it  a  smart  blow  with  a  club 
across  the  back  near  the  tail,  which  will  paralyze  the  ejecting 
muscles.  But  this  expedient  is  not  always  available,  as  the 
animal  sometimes  takes  the  trap  for  a  living  enemy  and  dis- 
charges when  first  taken.  One  thing,  however,  is  in  its  favor, 
namely,  it  is  very  neat  in  its  personal  habits,  rarely  allowing 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  69 

its  own  fur  to  be  soiled  with  its  offensive  secretions ;  so  that 
if  you  can  get  away  its  skin  without  being  overwhelmed  your- 
self by  its  perfumery,  your  spoil  is  likely  to  be  as  clean  and 
saleable  as  in  the  case  of  any  other  animal. 

[We  are  indebted  to  an  old  Connecticut  trapper,  Mr.  H. 
Mansfield,  for  the  following  valuable  addition  to  Mr.  New- 
house's  article  on  the  Skunk.  —  EDITORS.] 

"  In  summer,  Skunks  can  be  taken  in  great  numbers  by  the  follow- 
ing method :  Find  a  place  where  they  travel  from  their  holes  to  a 
hen-coop  or  through  a  corn-field.  Make  a  path  for  them  by  tread- 
ing down  the  grass,  and  set  up  sticks  along  on  each  side  to  guide  them 
more  surely.  Set  traps  at  intervals,  and  strew  pieces  of  meat  or 
dead  mice  before  and  behind  each  trap.  A  whole  family  of  Skunks 
will  walk  down  this  path,  the  old  ones  heading  the  procession ;  and 
as  one  after  another  is  caught,  those  behind  will  climb  over  and 
pass  on,  till  all  are  taken.  I  have  caught  in  this  way  two  old  ones 
and  eight  young  ones  in  one  path  on  a  single  evening.  They  seldom 
discharge  when  first  caught ;  and  can  be  prevented  from  doing  so  at 
all,  either  by  a  blow  on  the  back,  or  by  boldly  seizing  the  parts 
where  the  offensive  secretion  lies  with  one  hand,  and  piercing  the 
throat  with  a  knife  in  the  other. 

"  In  winter  my  method  is  to  track  them  to  their  holes  and  dig 
them  out.  They  are  obliged  to  go  to  some  stream  for  water  every 
day,  and  when  there  is  snow,  they  can  easily  be  tracked  back  to 
their  burrows.  In  digging  them  out,  I  prevent  them  from  using 
their  terrible  weapon  by  carefully  uncovering  only  one  at  a  time, 
and  only  the  head  of  each  at  first,  filling  in  and  even  'tamping* 
the  dirt  around  the  body,  till  I  can  despatch  them  in  succession  by 
opening  the  jugular  vein. 

"  The  surest  way  to  take  Skunks  without  bad  consequences  is  by 
the  snare  and  spring-pole. 

"  With  all  the  precaution  that  can  be  taken,  the  trapper's  clothes 
will  sometimes  be  sprinkled ;  and  there  will  be  more  or  less  scent 
about  the  skins.  The  best  way  to  cleanse  articles  in  this  condition 
is  to  hold  them  over  a  fire  of  red-cedar  boughs,  and  afterwards 
sprinkle  them  with  chloride  of  lime." 


70  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 


THE    COYPU    RAT. 

The  Coypu  Rat,  or  Racoonda,  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
furnishes  the  fur  known  in  commerce  as  Nutria.  But  one 
species  is  known,  which  is  a  native  of  South  America,  and  is 
found  in  great  numbers  in  the  La  Plata  region.  In  general 
appearance  and  character  it  resembles  the  beaver.  Its  tail, 
however,  instead  of  being  flattened,  is  long,  round,  and  rat- 
like.  Its  favorite  haunts  are  the  lagoons  of  the  plains  or 
pampas,  and  the  banks  of  rivers  and  streams.  Its  fur  is 
short,  fine,  silky,  similar  to  that  of  the  beaver,  and  light 
brown  in  color.  Overlying  the  fur  are  long  hairs  of  a  brown- 
ish yellow  color.  The  fur  is  heaviest  and  best  on  the  belly. 
It  is  used  for  the  same  purpose  as  that  of  the  beaver,  in  the 
manufacture  of  hats  and  caps.  The  Coypu  is  about  two  feet 
long  exclusive  of  tail,  which  is  about  fifteen  inches  in  length. 
It  is  very  prolific,  the  female  producing  six  or  seven  at  a  birth. 
They  feed  on  vegetables,  are  quite  gentle  in  their  character, 
and  easily  tamed.  They  inhabit  South  America  on  both  sides 
of  the  Andes :  on  the  east,  from  Peru  to  forty-three  degrees 
south  latitude  ;  on  the  west,  from  Central  Chili  to  Terra  del 
Fuego.  They  are  also  found  in  the  small  bays  and  channels 
of  the  archipelagos  along  the  coast.  They  are  burrowing 
animals,  and  form  their  habitations  in  the  banks  of  lakes  and 
streams.  They  are  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  and  seem  to  be 
equally  at  home  in  fresh  or  salt  water. 

The  Coypu  is  usually  hunted  with  dogs,  and  is  easily  cap- 
tured. It  is,  however,  a  bold  animal,  and  fights  fiercely  with 
the  dog  employed  in  pursuing  it.  We  cannot  learn  that  any 
attempt  has  been  made  to  take  them  by  the  steel-trap,  but 
this  would  no  doubt  prove  the  best  and  easiest  method  of  cap- 
ture. Their  habits  resemble  those  of  the  beaver  and  muskrat, 
and  they  should  be  trapped  on  the  same  general  principles. 
Great  numbers  of  the  skins  of  this  animal  are  annually  ex- 
ported. In  some  seasons  the  number  has  been  over  three 
millions,  constituting  an  important  branch  of  the  fur-trade. 


CAPTURE  OF  ANIMALS.  71 


THE    CHINCHILLA. 

The  most  delicate  and  silken  of  all  furs  is  that  produced  by 
the  Chinchilla.  This  animal  is  found  in  South  America,  along 
the  Andean  region  from  Chili  to  Peru.  It  burrows  in  the 
valleys  which  intersect  the  hilly  slopes,  and  collects  together  in 
great  numbers  in  certain  favored  localities.  It  belongs  to  the 
group  of  animals  called  Jerboidce,  which  are  characterized  by 
great  comparative  length  of  the  hind  legs.  It  is  a  small 
animal,  measuring  only  about  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  in 
total  length,  of  which  the  tail  forms  about  one  third.  They 
are  very  prolific,  the  female  bringing  forth  five  or  six  twice  a 
year.  Their  food  is  exclusively  vegetable,  consisting  mostly 
of  bulbous  roots.  They  are  very  cleanly  in  all  their  habits. 
The  fur  of  the  Chinchilla  is  long ;  its  color  is  a  delicate  clear 
gray  upon  the  back,  softening  into  a  grayish  white  on  the 
under  portions ;  and  its  texture  is  wonderfully  soft  and  fine. 
It  is  used  for  muffs,  tippets,  linings  to  cloaks  and  pelisses,  and 
trimmings.  The  skins  which  are  obtained  in  Chili  are  the 
best.  Great  numbers  of  Chinchillas  are  caught  in  the  vicinity 
of  Coquimbo  and  Copiapo.  They  are  usually  hunted  with 
dogs  by  boys.  The  true  method  is  to  take  them  at  the  mouth 
of  their  burrows  with  a  small  steel  rat-trap. 

THE    SQUIRREL. 

The  American  varieties  of  the  Squirrel  do  not  produce  fur 
of  much  value,  and  are  of  little  importance  in  the  fur-trade. 
They  are  generally  taken  only  for  food  or  as  nuisances.  The 
European  variety,  however,  is  much  more  valuable,  and  its 
skins  are  brought  into  the  fur-markets  of  Europe  by  the  mill- 
ion. They  are  spread  over  all  the  north  of  Europe  and  Asia. 
Those  of  Russia  and  Siberia  produce  the  finest  and  hand- 
somest fur.  This  kind  is  a  small  Squirrel  with  tufted  ears 
and  a  beautiful  gray  coat. 

For  taking  Squirrels,  the  trap  should  be  set  on  the  top  rail 
of  a  fence  near  a  wood  that  they  frequent.  A  pole,  with  an 
ear  of  corn  or  some  other  favorite  squirrel-food  fastened  to 
the  end  of  it,  should  be  set  up  by  the  side  of  the  fence,  lean- 


72  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

ing  in  such  a  position  as  to  bring  the  bait  over  the  trap  at  the 
height  of  six  or  eight  inches.  In  reaching  for  the  bait  the 
Squirrel  gets  into  the  trap. 

To  give  a  complete  view  of  the  business  of  trapping,  sev- 
eral less  valuable  animals  should  be  briefly  noticed,  not  as  fur- 
bearing,  but  as  legitimate  subjects  of  the  trapper's  art. 

THE   WOODCHUCK    OR    MARMOT. 

Marmots  are  burrowing  animals.  There  are  a  number  of 
species,  and  they  are  found  on  both  Continents.  In  this 
country,  they  are  commonly  called  Woodchucks.  The  cu- 
rious Prairie  Dog  of  the  Western  plains  is  allied  to  the  Mar- 
mot. This  latter  animal  lives  in  villages  from  a  few  acres  to 

O 

several  miles  in  extent,  in  the  country  bordering  on  the 
Arkansas  and  Missouri  Rivers  and  their  tributaries.  The 
entrance  to  their  burrows  is  in  the  summit  or  side  of  a  small 
mound  of  earth,  somewhat  elevated,  but  seldom  more  than 
eighteen  inches  high.  In  pleasant  weather,  they  may  be  seen 
sporting  about  the  entrance  of  their  burrows  ;  and  five  or  six 
individuals  may  be  sometimes  seen  sitting  on  a  single  mound. 
They  make  a  noise  somewhat  like  the  barking  of  a  dog, 
whence  their  name,  Prairie  Dog.  When  alarmed,  they  re- 
treat at  once  into  their  holes.  The  skin  of  the  common 
Woodchuck  is  valuable  for  whip-lashes,  and  its  fur  even  is 
not  despised  by  rustics.  All  kinds  of  Marmots  may  be  taken 
by  setting  steel-traps,  completely  covered  and  without  bait,  at 
the  mouth  of  their  holes. 

THE     GOPHER. 

This  animal,  called  also  the  Canada  Pouched  Rat,  inhabits 
the  prairie  region  west  of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  a  burrowing 
animal,  and  lives  on  roots  and  vegetables.  Its  body  is  firmly 
built,  about  nine  inches  long,  with  a  short  tail  and  legs,  the 
latter  armed  with  long  claws  for  digging.  The  head  and  neck 
are  relatively  large,  and  the  mouth  has  four  broad  long  in- 
cisors, two  on  each  jaw,  adapted  to  cutting  roots.  On  the 
aides  of  the  face  and  neck,  extending  back  to  the  shoulders, 


CAPTURE  OF  ANIMALS. 


73 


are  large  pouches,  in  which  to  carry  earth,  food,  &c.  The 
Gopher  digs  paths  or  galleries  of  an  oval  form,  several  inches 
in  diameter,  a  short  distance  below  the  surface,  coming  to  the 
surface  once  in  about  a  rod,  where  the  excavated  earth  is  de- 
posited in  little  hillocks.  These  galleries  ramify  in  all  direc- 
tions. When  the  animal  has  brought  to  the  surface  in  one 
place  as  much  earth  as  its  sense  of  economy  dictates,  it  closes 
up  the  hole,  and  begins  a  new  deposit  further  on,  so  that  noth- 


The  Gopher  and  its  Burrow. 


ing  remains  but  a  neat  little  mound  of  earth,  large  enough  to 
fill  a  half  bushel,  more  or  less.  Gophers  are  great  pests  to 
the  western  farmers,  injuring  and  destroying  the  roots  of  their 
crops,  and  infesting  their  fields  and  gardens.  They  may  be 
trapped  in  the  following  manner :  Carefully  cut  away  a 
square  section  of  sod  on  a  line  between  the  two  most  recent 
deposits.  On  finding  the  gallery,  excavate  down  till  a  trap 
will  set  on  a  level  with  the  bottom  of  the  passage.  Place  the 
trap  there ;  then  lay  a  piece  of  board  or  shingle  across  the  ex- 


74  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

cavation,  just  above  the  passage,  and  replace  the  sod.     The 
Gopher  while  at  work  will  run  into  the  trap  and  be  taken. 

THE    RAT. 

This  pest  of  all  countries  may  be  taken  in  any  or  all  of  the 
following  ways  :  1.  Set  your  trap  in  a  pan  of  meal  or  bran  ; 
cover  it  with  meal  and  set  the  pan  near  the  run-ways  of  the 
Rats  ;  or,  2,  set  the  trap  in  a  path  at  the  mouth  of  a  Rat's  hole, 
with  a  piece  of  thin  brown  paper  or  cloth  spread  smoothly 
over  it ;  or,  3,  make  a  run-way  for  the  Rats  by  placing  a  box, 
barrel,  or  board  near  a  wall,  leaving  room  for  them  to  pass, 
and  set  the  trap  in  the  passage,  covered  as  before.  In  all 
cases,  the  trap  should  be  thoroughly  smoked  over  a  fire  or 
heated  over  a  stove  before  it  is  set,  and  at  every  re-setting ; 
but  care  should  be  taken  not  to  overheat  the  trap  so  as  to 
draw  the  temper  of  the  spring.  Also  the  position  of  the  trap 
should  be  frequently  changed. 

To  conclude  these  instructions  for  capturing  animals,  I  will 
introduce  the  trapper  to  one  or  two  of  a  larger  and  nobler 
family,  which  he  will  find  well  worthy  of  his  attention,  not 
for  their  skins  or  furs  (though  these  are  valuable),  but  for 
their  flesh,  which,  in  his  more  distant  and  adventurous  excur- 
sions, will  often  be  the  only  resource  of  his  commissariat. 
The  soldier  must  look  out,  not  only  for  his  means  of  fighting, 
but  for  his  means  of  living  —  for  his  larder  as  well  as  for  his 
enemy  —  and  happily  I  can  show  the  soldiers  of  the  trap  how 
to  supply  themselves  with  food  by  the  same  weapons  that  they 
use  in  taking  animals  for  their  furs. 

THE    DEER. 

This  family  of  ruminating  animals  embraces  a  great  variety 
of  species,  ranging  in  size  from  the  Pigmy  Musk-Deer  of  Java, 
which  is  not  larger  than  a  hare  and  weighs  only  five  or  six 
pounds,  to  the  gigantic  Moose-Deer  of  America,  whose  height 
is  seven  or  eight  feet  and  its  weight  twelve  hundred  pounds. 
But  the  species  with  which  American  trappers  are  most  prac- 
tically concerned,  are  the  common  Red  or  Virginia  Deer,  and 


'»  •   V 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  75 

the  Black-Tailed  Deer  of  the  region  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. These  species  differ  but  little  in  habits  and  general 
characteristics,  and  a  description  of  the  Virginia  Deer  is  suf- 
ficient for  the  purposes  of  the  trapper.  The  Virginia  Deer 
are  found  in  nearly  all  the  States  of  the  Union  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  abound  in  both  provinces  of  Canada. 
They  are  gregarious  in  their  habits,  though  frequently  seen 
alone.  Their  food  in  summer  consists  of  twigs,  grass,  berries, 
nuts,  roots,  acorns,  persimmons,  &c.,  and  at  that  season  they 
frequent  rivers  and  lakes  to  feed  on  water-plants,  as  well  as 
for  the  purpose  of  freeing  themselves  from  insect  pests. 
They  are  also  fond  of  visiting  the  pioneer's  clearing  and 
appropriating  his  wheat,  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  turnips  and  cab- 
bages. In  winter  they  retire  to  the  elevated  ridges,  where 
maple  and  other  hard-wood  trees  abound,  the  bark,  twigs 
and  branches  of  which  are  at  that  season  their  chief  support. 
They  form  "  yards  "  by  trampling  down  the  deep  snows,  and 
live  together  in  large  herds,  numbering  sometimes  thirty  ani- 
mals in  a  single  "  yard."  These  inclosures  are  enlarged 
from  time  to  time  as  the  Deer  require  more  trees  for  browsing. 
Wolves  and  panthers  are  their  most  formidable  enemies  —  al- 
ways excepting  man.  Packs  of  wolves  frequently  attack 
them  in  their  "  yards,"  and  sometimes  when  the  snow  is 
deep  and  crusted  over,  whole  herds  are  destroyed.  Wolves 
sometimes  pursue  a  single  Deer  with  the  "  long  chase."  In 
summer  a  Deer  thus  pursued  generally  takes  to  the  water, 
and  so  baffles  his  pursuers ;  but  in  winter  when  the  streams 
and  lakes  are  frozen  over,  he  rarely  escapes.  Panthers  take 
Deer  by  crawling  within  springing  distance  of  them  in  their 
"  yards ''  or  elsewhere,  or  by  watching  and  pouncing  on  them 
from  some  cliff  or  tree,  as  they  pass  below. 

The  methods  by  which  men  take  Deer  are  various.  They 
are  sometimes  driven  by  dogs  into  rivers  or  lakes,  and  are 
then  overtaken  and  dispatched  by  the  hunter  in  his  canoe.  A 
favorite  method  is  to  shoot  them  at  night  at  the  places  by  the 
water-side,  where  they  resort  to  feed  on  aquatic  plants  and  re- 
lieve themselves  of  insects.  For  this  purpose  the  hunter  pre- 
pares himself  with  a  boat,  gun,  and  lamp.  The  light  is  set  on 


76  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

the  bow  of  the  boat,  so  that  it  will  shine  on  the  forward  sight 
of  the  gun,  and  at  the  same  time  conceal  by  its  glare  the  hun- 
ter crouching  behind.  With  muffled  oar  the  boat  approaches 
the  game.  The  reflected  gleams  from  the  eyes  of  the  Deer  be- 
tray his  position  to  the  hunter.  If  no  noise  is  made  the  victim 
will  stand  and  gaze  at  the  light  until  it  is  within  a  few  yards, 
and  so  give  a  sure  opportunity  for  the  fatal  shot.  Many  are 
taken  in  this  way  in  the  early  autumn ;  and  later  in  the  sea- 
son, when  snow  first  comes,  many  more  are  taken  by  the  "  still 
hunt,"  either  by  following  on  their  trail,  or  by  watching  at 
their  run-ways. 

The  steel-trap,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  not  much  used  for 
taking  Deer ;  and  I  am  not  sure  but  that  this  use  of  it  is  re- 
garded by  sportsmen  as  somewhat  barbarous.  But  all  the 
ways  of  deceiving  and  killing  these  noble  animals  seem  to  be 
open  to  the  same  objection ;  and  the  necessities  of  the  trapper 
often  forbid  him  to  be  very  particular  as  to  the  means  of  fur- 
nishing himself  with  food.  There  are  times  when  the  trap  is 
the  best,  and  even  the  only,  available  means  of  taking  Deer ; 
for  instance,  when  the  trapper  is  without  his  rifle,  or  has  ex- 
hausted his  ammunition,  and  finds  himself  in  the  far  wilder- 
ness without  food.  In  such  circumstances,  he  might  starve  if 
he  could  not  betake  himself  to  his  traps  for  supply.  And  even 
when  rifle  and  ammunition  are  at  hand,  sometimes  in  dry 
weather  (technically  called  a  "  noisy  time  ")  every  thing  is  so 
crisp  and  crackling  under  foot,  that  it  is  impossible  to  ap- 
proach the  Deer  within  shooting  distance.  I  therefore  rec- 
ommend to  practical  woodsmen  to  learn  how  to  take  Deer  in 
traps,  and  not  be  over-scrupulous  in  doing  so  when  occasion 
requires. 

For  taking  Deer  the  trap  must  be  a  strong  one,  and  the  jaws 

should  be  spiked,  and 
so  shaped  and  adjusted 
i  that  when  sprung  they 
will  remain  open  about 
half  an  inch,  to  pre- 
Deer  Trap.  vent  breaking  the  bone. 

The  trap  should  be  placed  in  the  path  of  the  deer  where  it 


. 


f 


m  r. 


• 


CAPTURE   OF  ANIMALS.  77 

crosses  a  stream  or  enters  a  lake  ;  and  it  should  be  set  under 
water  and  concealed  by  some  covering.  If  it  is  as  heavy  as 
it  ought  to  be  (say  of  three  or  four  pounds'  weight),  it  should 
not  be  fastened  at  all  or  even  clogged  ;  as  the  animal  is  very 
active  and  violent  when  taken,  and  will  be  sure  to  break  loose 
by  tearing  off  a  limb  or  smashing  the  trap,  if  his  motions  are 
much  impeded.  If  the  trap  is  left  loose,  the  Deer,  when 
caught,  will  make  a  few  desperate  plunges  and  then  lie  down  ; 
and  will  seldom  be  found  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  rods  from 
where  he  was  taken.  When  the  hunter  approaches  he  will 
make  a  few  more  plunges,  but  can  easily  be  dispatched. 

Mr.  Gunter,  the  Canada  trapper,  whom  I  have  heretofore 
quoted,  gives  the  following  directions  for  trapping  Deer  in 
winter :  — 

"  Fell  a  maple  or  bass-wood  tree  near  where  the  Deer  haunt. 
These  trees  furnish  their  favorite  browse.  Make  a  small  hole  in 
the  snow,  close  to  the  top  of  the  tree.  Set  your  trap,  lower  it  into 
the  hole  and  shove  it  to  one  side,  eighteen  or  twenty  inches,  through 
the  snow.  Finally  take  some  deer-scent,  obtained  from  the  glands 
on  the  hind  legs  of  a  Deer,  and  which  has  a  very  strong  odor,  and  rub 
it  on  your  trap.  This  done,  when  the  Deer  come  to  feed  on  the 
twigs  of  the  fallen  tree,  you  will  be  pretty  sure  to  take  one." 

THE  MOOSE. 

This  is  the  largest  kind  of  deer,  and  its  habits  are  in  many 
respects  like  those  of  the  common  deer.  It  is  more  confined, 
however,  to  the  snowy  regions  of  the  North.  It  is  found 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  British  America,  ranging  as 
far  north  as  the  Arctic  Sea.  In  the  United  States,  it  is  found 
in  Maine,  Northern  New  York,  Oregon,  and  Washington 
Territory.  On  the  Eastern  Continent,  it  is  found  throughout 
the  northern  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia.  Its  favorite  haunts 
are  the  hard-wood  lands.  In  general  color,  it  is  yellowish- 
brown  or  ashy-gray.  The  hair  in  summer  is  short  and  soft, 
and  long  and  coarse  in  winter.  The  full-grown  Moose  weighs 
from  eight  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds,  and  stands 
seven  and  even  eight  feet  high.  Its  horns  have  an  expanse 
of  nearly  six  feet  between  the  tips,  and  a  palm  or  spade  on 


78  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

each,  of  a  foot  in  width,  and  weigh  from  forty-five  to  seventy 
pounds.  Under  the  throat  of  both  sexes  there  is  a  tuft  of 
coarse,  bristly  hair,  a  foot  or  more  in  length,  attached  to  a 
sort  of  dewlap.  The  breeding  season  of  the  Moose  is  in  May. 
At  the  first  birth,  but  a  single  one  is  brought  forth ;  after- 
wards two  are  brought  forth  annually.  Moose,  like  the  com- 
mon deer,  frequent  rivers  and  lakes  in  summer,  to  feed  on  the 
roots  of  the  water-lily  and  other  aquatic  plants  ;  and  retire  in 
winter  to  the  high  ridges,  to  browse  on  the  twigs  of  the  striped 
maple  and  birch.  Their  height  enables  them  to  crop  the 
overhanging  branches  of  large  trees  ;  and  their  weight  and 
strength  enable  them  to  bend  down  small  trees  and  slide  over 
them  with  their  bodies,  stripping  the  bark  and  twigs  to  the 
very  extremities.  Like  the  common  deer,  they  form  "yards" 
by  treading  down  the  snows,  and  enlarge  them  as  fast  as  they 
strip  the  trees  and  require  more.  In  these  "  yards  "  there  are 
commonly  found  a  male,  female,  and  two  fawns. 

Moose  are  taken  in  winter  by  the  "  long  chase  "  on  snow- 
shoes,  and  in  summer  they  are  shot  at  their  feeding-places  in 
marshes.  They  are,  however,  very  wary  and  timid  ;  and 
their  sense  of  smelling  is  so  acute  that  the  greatest  caution 
is  necessary  on  the  part  of  the  hunter  in  approaching  them. 
The  males  in  the  rutting  season  are  very  dangerous,  and  will 
attack,  and  if  possible  kill,  any  persons  who  approach  them. 
Moose  can  easily  be  taken  either  in  summer  or  winter  by  set- 
ting steel-traps  in  their  haunts,  as  they  are  not  cunning,  and 
enter  a  trap  as  readily  as  an  ox  or  a  horse.  The  trap  should 
be  a  strong  one  of  about  forty  pounds'  weight,  and  it  should 
be  fastened  to  a  clog  of  sixty  pounds'  weight. 

The  flesh  of  the  Moose  is  much  esteemed  by  hunters  and 
trappers,  being  generally  preferred  to  that  of  the  common 
deer.  The  marrow  in  the  large  bones  is  an  excellent  substi- 
tute for  butter. 


III.    CURING  SKINS. 

HOWEVER  successful  a  trapper  may  be  in  taking  animals, 
he  will  not  secure  a  full  reward  for  his  labor  unless  he  knows 
how  to  take  care  of  their  skins,  and  prepare  them  for  market 
in  such  a  manner  that  they  will  command  the  highest  prices. 
As  skins  that  have  been  riddled  with  shot  find  little  favor  with 
fur-dealers,  so  skins  that  have  been  cut  in  stripping  off,  or  that 
are  encumbered  with  remnants  of  flesh,  or  that  have  passed 
into  a  state  of  incipient  putrefaction  before  drying,  or  that 
have  not  been  properly  stretched,  or  that  have  been  dried  too 
fast,  or  that  have  been  neglected  and  exposed  after  being 
cured,  are  very  sure  to  be  thrown  out  by  the  fur-inspector  as 
second  or  third  rate  skins,  deserving  only  poor  prices.  Great 
quantities  of  valuable  furs,  taken  by  boys  and  inexperienced 
trappers,  are  rendered  almost  worthless  by  bad  treatment  in 
some  of  the  processes  of  preservation.  I  shall  give  such  in- 
formation on  this  part  of  the  trapper's  business  as  I  have  ob- 
tained, both  from  my  own  experience  and  from  conversation 
with  fur-dealers. 

GENERAL    RULES. 

1.  Be  careful  to  visit  your  traps  often  enough,  so  that  the 
skins  will  not  have  time  to  get  tainted. 

2.  As  soon  as  possible  after  an  animal  is  dead  and  dry, 
attend  to  the  skinning  and  curing. 

3.  Scrape  off  all  superfluous  flesh  and  fat,  but  be  careful 
not  to  go  so  deep  as  to  cut  the  fibre  of  the  skin. 

4.  Never  dry  a  skin  by  the  fire  or  in  the  sun,  but  in  a  cool, 
shady  place,  sheltered  from  rain.     If  you  use  a  barn  door  for 
a  stretcher  (as  boys  sometimes  do),  nail  the  skin  on  the  inside 
of  the  door. 

5.  Never  use  "  preparations  "  of  any  kind  in  curing  skins, 
nor  even  wash  them  in  water,  but  simply  stretch  and  dry 
them  as  they  are  taken  from  the  animal. 


80 


THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 


STRETCHING    SKINS. 

In  drying  skins,  it  is  important  that  they  should  be  stretched 
tight,  like  a  strained  drum-head.  This  can  be  done  after  a 
fashion  by  simply  nailing  them  flat  on  a  wide  board  or  a  barn 
door.  But  this  method,  besides  being  impracticable  on  the 
large  scale  in  the  woods  (where  most  skins  have  to  be  cured), 
is  objectionable  because  it  exposes  only  one  side  of  the  pelt  to 
the  air.  The  stretchers  that  are  generally  approved  and  used 
by  good  trappers  are  of  three  kinds,  adapted  to 
the  skins  of  different  classes  of  animals.  I  shall 
call  them  the  board-stretcher,  the  low-stretcher, 
and  the  hoop-stretcher,  and  will  describe  them, 
indicating  the  different  animals  to  which  each  is 
adapted. 

THE    BOARD-STRETCHER. 

This  contrivance  is  made  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Prepare  a  board  of  bass-wood  or  other  light 
material,  two  feet  three  inches  long,  three  inches 
and  a  half  wide  at  one  end,  and  twro  inches  and 
an  eighth  at  the  other,  and  three  eighths  of  an 
inch  thick.  Chamfer  it  from  the  centre  to  the 
sides  almost  to  an  edge.  Round  and  chamfer  the 
small  end  about  an  inch  up  on  the  sides.  Split 
this  board  through  the  centre  with  a  knife  or  saw. 
Finally,  prepare  a  wedge  of  the  same  length  and 
thickness,  one  inch  wide  at  the  large  end,  and 
tapering  to  three  eighths  of  an  inch  at  the  small 
end,  to  be  driven  between  the  halves  of  the 
board.  This  is  a  stretcher  suitable  for  a  mink 
or  a  marten.  Two  larger  sizes,  with  similar  pro- 
portions, are  required  for  the  larger  animals.  The 
largest  size,  suitable  for  the  full-grown  otter  or 
wolf,  should  be  five  feet  and  a  half  long,  seven 
inches  wide  at  the  large  end  when  fully  spread 
by  the  wedge,  and  six  inches  at  the  small  end. 
Board-stretcher.  An  intermediate  size  is  required  for  the  fisher, 
raccoon,  fox,  and  some  other  animals,  the  proportions  of  which 
can  be  easily  figured  out. 


CURING  SKINS.  81 

These  stretchers  require  that  the  skin  of  the  animal  should 
not  be  ripped  through  the  belly,  but  should  be  stripped  off 
whole.  This  is  done  in  the  following  manner :  Commence 
with  the  knife  at  the  hind-feet,  and  slit  down  to  the  vent. 
Cut  around  the  vent,  and  strip  the  skin  from  the  bone  of  the 
tail  with  the  help  of  the  thumb-nail  or  a  split  stick.  Make 
no  other  slits  in  the  skin,  except  in  the  case  of  the  otter, 
whose  tail  requires  to  be  split,  spread,  and  tacked  on  to  the 
board.  Peel  the  skin  from  the  body  by  drawing  it  over  itself, 
leaving- the  fur-side  inward.  In  this  condition  the  skin  should 
be  drawn  on  to  the  split  board  (with  the  back  on  one  side  and 
the  belly  on  the  other)  to  its  utmost  length,  and  fastened  with 
tacks  or  by  notches  cut  in  the  edge  of  the  board,  and  then  the 
wedge  should  be  driven  between  the  two  halves.  Finally, 
make  all  fast  by  a  tack  at  the  root  of  the  tail,  and  another  on 
the  opposite  side.  The  skin  is  then  stretched  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  as  a  boot-leg  is  stretched  by  the  shoemaker's  "  tree," 
and  it  may  be  hung  away  in  the  proper  place,  by  a  hole  in 
one  end  of  the  stretcher,  and  left  to  dry. 

A  modification  of  this  kind  of  stretcher,  often  used  in  cur- 
ing the  skins  of  the  muskrat  and  other  small  animals,  is  a 
simple  board,  without  split  or  wedge,  three  sixteenths  of  an 
inch  thick,  twenty  inches  long,  six  inches  wide  at  the  large 
end,  and  tapering  to  five  and  a  half  inches  at  six  inches  from 
the  small  end,  chamfered  and  rounded  as  in  the  other  cases. 


Muskrat-Stretcher. 

The  animal  should  be  skinned  as  before  directed,  and  the  skin 
drawn  tightly  on  to  the  board,  and  fastened  with  about  four 
tacks.  Sets  of  these  boards,  sufficient  for  a  muskra*  cam- 
paign, can  easily  be  made  and  transported.  They  are  very 
light  and  take  up  but  little  room  in  packing,  thirty-two  of 
them  making  but  six  inches  in  thickness. 


THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 


THE    BOW-STRETCHER. 

The  most  common  way  of  treating  the  muskrat  is  to  cut 
off  its  feet  with  a  hatchet ;  and  rip  with  a  knife  from  between 
the  two  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw,  down  the  belly,  about  two 
inches  below  where  the  fore-legs  come  out.  Then  the  skin 
is  started  by  cutting  around  the  lips,  eyes,  and  ears,  and  is 
stripped  over  the  body,  with  the  fur-side  inward.  Finally  a 
stick  of  birch,  water-beech,  iron-wood,  hickory,  or  elm,  an 
inch  in  diameter  at  the  butt,  and  three  feet  and  a  half  long,  is 
bent  into  the  shape  of  an  ox-bow  and  shoved  into  the  skin, 
which  is  drawn  tight,  and  fastened  by  splitting  down  a  sliver 
in  the  bow,  and  drawing  the  skin  of  the  lip  into  it. 

This  method  is  too  common  to  be  easily  abolished,  and  is 
tolerable  when  circumstances  make  it  necessary ;  but  the  for- 
mer method  of  stretching  by  a  tapering  board,  in  the  case  of 
muskrats  as  well  as  other  small  animals,  is  much  the  best. 
Skins  treated  in  that  way  keep  their  proper  shape,  and  pack 
better  than  those  stretched  on  bows,  and  in  the  long  run 
boards  are  more  economical  than  bows,  as  a  set  of  them  can 
be  used  many  times,  and  will  last  several  years  ;  whereas  bows 
are  seldom  used  more  than  once,  being  generally  broken  in 
taking  out. 

THE    HOOP-STRETCHER. 

The  skins  of  large  animals,  such  as  the  beaver  and  the  bear, 
are  best  dried  by  spreading  them,  at  full  size,  in  a  hoop.  For 
this  purpose,  a  stick  of  hickory  or  other  flexible  wood  should 
be  cut,  long  enough  to  entirely  surround  the  skin  when  bent. 
(If  a  single  stick  long  enough  is  not  at  hand,  two  smaller  ones 
can  be  spliced  together.)  The  ends  should  be  brought  around, 
lapped,  and  tied  with  a  string  or  a  withe  of  bark.  The  skin 
should  be  taken  from  the  animal  by  ripping  from  the  lower 
front  teeth  to  the  vent,  and  peeling  around  the  lips,  eyes,  and 
ears,  bat  without  ripping  up  the  legs.  It  should  then  be 
placed  inside  the  hoop  and  fastened  at  opposite  sides,  with 
twine  or  bark,  till  all  loose  parts  are  taken  up,  and  the  whole 
stretched  so  that  it  is  nearly  round  and  as  tight  as  a  drum- 


CURING  SKINS.  83 

head.     When  it  is  dry  it  may  be  taken  from  the  hoop,  and  is 
ready  for  packing  and  transportation. 

This  is  the  proper  method  of  treating  the  skin  of  the  deer. 
Some  prefer  it  for  the  wolf  and  raccoon.  In  many  cases  the 
trapper  may  take  his  choice  between  the  hoop  and  the  board 
method.  One  or  the  other  of  these  methods  will  be  found 
satisfactory  for  curing  all  kinds  of  skins. 


IV.    LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS. 

V 

[The  outfit  for  campaigning  in  the  woods  proposed  by  Mr.  Newhouse  m 
the  following  chapter  may  seem  rather  elaborate  and  luxurious,  adapted 
perhaps  better  to  amateur  sportsmen  than  to  the  "  rough  and  ready  "  fol- 
lowers of  the  trap.  But  it  is  best  to  encourage  and  help  forward  as  far 
as  possible  good  civilized  living,  even  in  wild  places.  Those  who  prefer  a 
freer  and  less  expensive  style  of  outfit  can  leave  Mr.  Newhouse  and  take 
lessons  of  the  older  trapper,  John  Hutchins,  or  of  Mr.  Gunter,  both  of 
whose  programmes  are  given  further  on,  and  are  simple  enough  for  the 
hardiest.  —  EDITORS.] 

THE  great  question,  after  all,  for  the  trapper  as  well  as  for 
the  soldier,  is,  how  to  live  and  keep  himself  comfortable  while 
he  carries  on  the  war.  He  requires  in  some  respects  even 
more  than  a  soldier's  courage,  for  he  is  to  encounter  the  hard- 
ships of  camp-life  alone^  or  with  but  one  or  two  companions, 
and  without  a  baggage-train  to  bring  up  provisions  at  every 
halt.  The  very  first  article  of  outfit  that  he  should  equip 
himself  with,  I  should  say,  would  be  a  firm  trust  in  Provi- 
dence. But  as  Cromwell  told  his  soldiers  to  "  trust  God  and 
keep  their  powder  dry,"  so  the  trapper  will  need  to  provide 
some  things  for  himself,  while  he  trusts  Providence.  I  will 
therefore  tell  him  as  well  as  I  can,  how  I  equip  myself  for  life 
in  the  woods. 

OUTFIT  FOR  A  CAMPAIGN  ON  FOOT. 

If  the  region  in  which  you  propose  to  trap  cannot  be  reached 
by  boat  or-  wagon,  you  must  be  content  with  such  necessaries 
as  you  can  carry  on  your  person.  A  trapper  on  foot  should 
not  tire  himself  with  long  stiff-legged  boots,  but  should  wear 
short  half-boots  (with  soles  well  nailed),  fitting  snugly  above 
and  around  the  ankle.  His  pants  should  be  gray  woolen, 
elosely  fitting  below  the  knee,  but  roomy  above.  His  coat 
should  be  of  the  same  material  and  color,  with  plenty  of 


MR.  NEWHOUSE'S  TENT  AND  STOVE. 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS.  85 

pocket-room.  His  hat  should  be  of  soft  felt,  gray,  and  with  a 
moderate  brim.  He  should  carry  a  "change"  of  woolen 
drawers,  wrappers,  shirts,  and  stockings.  A  towel  with  soap, 
a  night-cap,  and  a  blanket,  or,  what  is  better,  a  Canton-flannel 
bag  to  sleep  in,  will  complete  his  personal  equipments.  Then 
he  must  carry  for  shelter  a  small  tent,  made  of  firm  cotton- 
drilling,  weighing  not  more  than  two  pounds  and  a  half; 


Shelter  Tent. 

for  subsistence,  a  double-barrelled  gun  (rifle  and  shot),  weigh- 
ing seven  or  eight  pounds,  with  ammunition,  and  fishing- 
tackle  ;  and,  for  all  sorts  of  purposes,  an  axe  of  two  and  a 
half  pounds  (with  a  good  length  of  handle),  and  plenty  of 
tacks  and  nails.  For  cooking  and  table  service  he  must  carry 
a  frying-pan,  a  camp-kettle,  a  hunting-knife,  some  knives  and 
forks,  spoons  of  two  sizes,  a  few  tin  pressed  plates  and  basins, 
and  a  drinking-cup.  Above  all,  he  must  not  forget  to  take  a 
good  supply  of  matches  and  a  pocket-compass.  These  neces- 
saries (exclusive  of  clothing)  will  weigh,  according  to  my  reck- 
oning, about  twenty-five  pounds.  The  rest  of  his  load  must 
be  made  up  of  traps  and  provisions.  If  he  is  stout  enough 
to  undertake  trapping  on  foot,  he  ought  to  be  able  to  travel 
with  about  fifty  pounds.  He  may  take  then  five  pounds  of 
provisions  and  twenty  pounds  of  traps,  or  any  other  propor- 
tion of  these  articles  that  will  make  up  the  remaining  twenty- 


86  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

five  pounds.  His  provisions  should  consist  of  articles  that  will 
be  desirable  as  accompaniments  to  the  produce  of  his  gun  and 
fishing-tackle,  namely,  sugar,  tea  and  coffee  (rather  than 
whiskey),  salt,  pepper,  butter,  lard,  sifted  Indian  meal,  white 
beans,  crackers,  &c.  The  butter  and  lard  should  be  put  up 
in  air-tight  cans,  and  on  arrival  at  the  trapping  grounds  should 
be  sunk  in  a  spring.  The  best  kind  of  knapsack  for  carrying 
such  an  outfit  is  made  of  rubber-cloth,  with  shoulder-straps : 
but  you  can  easily  convert  your  sleeping  bag  or  your  blanket 
into  a  knapsack  that  will  serve  very  well.*  If  you  trap  with 
one  companion  or  more  (which  is  a  good  plan  and  according  to 
the  general  practice),  many  of  the  articles  named  in  the  above 
list  will  answer  for  the  party,  and  so  the  load  for  individuals 
will  be  lightened.  Thus  equipped,  you  can  turn  your  back 
on  the  haunts  of  men,  march  into  the  wilderness,  and,  with  a 
little  hunting  and  fishing  in  the  intervals  of  trap-duty,  live 
pleasantly  for  months,  and  return  with  your  load  of  furs,  a 
stouter  and  healthier  man  than  when  you  started. 

OUTFIT   FOR   AN    EXCURSION    BY   WAGttN    OR   BOAT. 

If  your  trapping  district  can  be  reached  by  road  or  by 
water,  some  changes  should  be  made  in  the  foregoing  inven- 
tory. For  the  interest  of  your  larder  it  will  be  best  to  take 
more  ammunition,  and  a  greater  variety  of  fishing-tackle.  A 
lamp  and  lantern,  with  a  supply  of  oil,  a  camp-hatchet  of 
twelve  ounces  in  weight  with  a  fourteen-inch  handle,  a  stone 
for  sharpening  knives,  axes,  and  hooks,  a  magazine  of  needles, 
thread,  scissors,  &c.,  and  many  other  like  conveniences,  may 

*  One  of  the  most  satisfactory  arrangements  we  have  ever  seen  for  carrying  lug- 
gage on  the  back  is  the  Indian  shoulder-basket.  They  are  made  nearly  square,  or 
about  ten  inches  by  twelve,  at  the  bottom,  and  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  high.  One 
side  is  flat,  the  others  are  rounded  and  drawn  in  toward  the  top,  making  the  moutb 
of  the  basket  only  about  half  the  size  of  the  bottom.  Over  the  mouth,  and  extend- 
ing some  distance  down  the  sides,  a  cover  of  rubber  or  enamel-cloth  should  be  fitted. 
On  the  flat  side  of  the  basket  shoulder-straps  are  fastened,  crossing  each  other  in  the 
form  of  an  X.  These  straps  should  be  made  of  two  thicknesses  of  strong  cotton 
cloth,  sewed  together  and  stuffed  with  cotton.  The  great  advantages  of  this  basket 
are,  that  it  is  light,  easily  managed,  fits  the  back  well,  bringing  the  load  just  where 
it  is  wanted,  does  not  get  out  of  place,  and  does  not  heat  the  back  like  a  close-fitting 
knapsack.  Combined  with  the  basket  the  trapper  needs  a  small  enamel-cloth  hav- 
ersack such  as  is  worn  by  soldiers.  —  EDITORS. 


LIFE  IN  THE   WOODS.  87 

be  stowed  away  in  the  odd  corners  of  your  luggage.  You 
may  also  carry  more  clothing  and  more  provisions,  such  as 
potatoes,  and  ought  certainly  to  take  along  at  least  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  traps  of  different  sizes,  and  a  good  set  of  board- 
stretchers  for  curing  skins. 

TENT. 

In  the  place  of  the  light  half-tent  recommended  for  a  cam- 
paign on  foot,  you  should  take  a  regular  A  tent  of  eight  or 
nine  pounds'  weight,  house-shaped,  and  buttoning  up  in  front. 
This  should  be  dipped  two  or  three  times  in  a  solution  pre- 
pared by  mixing  equal  parts  of  sugar  of  lead  and  alum  in  a 
pailful  of  milk-warm  water.  This  treatment  will  render  the 
tent  almost  impervious  to  rain,  and  will  protect  it  from  the 
pparks  of  fire  that  will  occasionally  be  blown  upon  it.  Instead 
of  a  ridge-pole  and  two  forked  stakes  for  supporting  it,  all  you 
need  is  a  cord  thirty  or  forty  feet  long,  to  be  drawn  through 
the  ridge  of  the  tent,  fastened  to  it  about  midway,  and  tied 
at  the  ends  to  two  trees  at  the  proper  height.  The  sides 
should  be  drawn  down  tight  and  fastened  by  hooks  driven 
into  the  ground. 

STOVE   AND   FURNITURE. 

A  much  needed  convenience  for  life  in  the  woods  is  a  stove 
with  its  furniture,  that  shall  on  the  one  hand  afford  all  neces- 
sary facilities  for  cooking  and  warming,  and  on  the  other  shall 
take  up  the  least  possible  room  in  packing.  Having  devoted 
considerable  study  to  this  matter,  I  flatter  myself  that  I  can 
put  the  ingenious  trapper  in  a  way  to  make  or  procure  the 
exact  article  that  he  wants.  Your  stove  should  be  made  of 
sheet-iron,  and  should  be  twenty-seven  inches  long,  ten  inches 
wide,  and  eight  inches  deep,  having  on  the  top  two  eight-inch 
holes  for  boilers  and  one  four-inch  hole  for  the  smoke-pipe. 
Ten  feet  of  pipe  will  be  sufficient,  and  this  can  be  made  in 
five  joints  of  two  feet  each,  tapering  in  the  whole  length  from 
four  inches  in  diameter  to  three,  so  that  the  joints  will  slip 
into  each  other  and  the  whole  can  be  packed  for  transporta- 
tion inside  the  stove.  For  an  outlet  of  the  pipe  through  the 


88  THE  TRAPPER'S   ART. 

roof  of  the  tent,  there  should  be  a  piece  of  tin,  ten  inches 
square,  with  an  oblong  hole,  to  be  fastened  at  the  proper 
place  on  the  roof  by  means  of  lappels.  The  furniture  of  the 
stove  should  be  two  dripping-pans  of  Russia  iron  ;  one  thir- 
teen inches  long,  nine  inches  wide,  and  an  inch  and  a  quarter 
deep ;  the  other  enough  smaller  to  pack  inside  the  first ;  a 
kettle,  also  of  Russia  iron,  nine  inches  across  the  top,  seven 
inches  and  a  half  deep,  and  six  inches  and  a  half  across  the 
bottom  ;  and  two  or  three  tin  pails'  and  several  basins,  all 
made  in  a  diminishing  series,  so  that  they  will  slip  into  each 
other,  and  all  into  the  iron  kettle.  The  kettle  and  pails  match 
the  holes  in  the  top  of  the  stove,  and  when  used  in  cooking 
tea,  coffee,  &c.,  should  be  covered  with  tin  pressed  plates. 
The  whole  of  this  furniture  can  be  packed  with  the  pipe  in 
the  stove.  For  supporting  the  stove  in  the  tent,  prepare  four 
posts  eighteen  inches  long,  made  of  three-eighths  inch  iron 
rod,  sharpened  at  one  end,  flattened  at  the  other  and  fash- 
ioned like  a  small  tenon.  Two  pieces  of  band-iron  should 
then  be  made  just  long  enough  to  reach  across  the  bottom  of 
the  stove  and  receive  the  tenons  of  the  posts  into  holes  drilled 
in  each  end.  Then,  to  set  up  your  stove,  drive  the  posts  into 
the  ground,  adjust  the  cross-pieces  to  their  places,  and  place 
the  stove  on  the  cross-pieces.  Small  depressions  should  be 
filed  in  the  edge  of  the  stove-bottom,  to  fit  the  ends  of  the 
tenons,  above  the  cross-pieces,  so  as  to  prevent  the  stove  from 
moving  from  its  position.  Your  tent  is  large  enough  to  ac- 
commodate any  number  of  persons  from  two  to  six  ;  and  your 
stove  will  warm  them  and  do  their  cooking,  with  an  amount 
of  fuel  that  will  be  a  mere  trifle  compared  with  what  is  re- 
quired for  an  open  fire.  It  has  the  advantage  also  of  giving 
a  quick  heat,  and,  with  a  damper,  will  keep  fire  all  night. 

BED    AND    BEDDING. 

Good  sleeping  accommodations  can  be  provided  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  Take  two  pieces  of  sacking  or  other  coarse 
cloth,  six  and  a  half  feet  long  and  two  feet  and  three  quarters 
wide,  and  sew  them  firmly  together  at  the  sides,  making  a  bag 
with  both  ends  open.  Cut  two  poles,  each  seven  feet  long 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS.  89 

and  two  inches  in  diameter,  and  run  them  through  the  bag, 
resting  the  ends  in  notches  on  two  logs  placed  parallel  to  each 
other  at  the  proper  distance  apart.  The  notches  should  be 
so  far  apart  that  the  poles  will  tightly  stretch  the  bag.  Four 
forked  stakes,  if  more  convenient,  may  be  substituted  for  the 
logs  and  driven  into  the  ground  so  as  to  receive  the  ends  of 
the  poles  and  stretch  the  sacking.  The  space  in  the  bag  be- 
tween the  poles  should  be  filled  with  dry  grass,  leaves,  ever- 
green boughs,  or  moss^  which  will  give  it  the  warmth  and 
softness  of  a  straw  bed.  By  this  arrangement  you  have  an 
extempore  bedstead,  raising  you  above  the  cold,  damp  ground, 
and  a  bed  as  good  as  the  best.  For  bed-clothes,  the  best  con- 
trivance is  a  bag  made  of  wide,  firm  Canton  flannel,  six  and 
a  half  feet  long,  open  at  one  end.  Let  the  tired  hunter  insert 
himself  in  this  bag  feet  foremost,  and  he  will  need  no  "  tuck- 
ing up  "  to  keep  him  comfortable  even  on  the  ground  or  in 
the  snow ;  and  if  he  is  fortunate  enough  to  be  perched  on 
such  a  bed  as  is  above  described,  in  a  tent  well  buttoned  up, 
with  a  friendly  stove  at  his  feet,  the  cry  of  the  loon,  the  howl 
of  the  wolf,  or  the  scream  of  the  panther,  will  hardly  disturb 
his  slumbers.* 

CAMP-CHEST. 

A  chest  made  of  light  materials,  two  feet  nine  inches  in 
length,  eighteen  inches  in  width,  and  fourteen  inches  in  depth 

—  not  larger  than  an  ordinary  trunk  —  will   hold  in  trans- 
portation the  stove  with  its  pipe  and  all  its  furniture,  the  bed 
and  bedding,  the  tent  and  all  its  rigging,  and  in  fact  nearly 
the  whole  outfit  that  has  been  described.     The  cover  of  the 
chest  should  be  made  of  two  thicknesses  of  boards,  five  eighths 
of  an  inch  thick,  with  double  hinges,  so  that  the  upper  lid  can 
be  turned  back  separately,  and  form  with  the  other  lid  a  good 
table. 

COOKING. 

It  will  not  be  expected  that  the  trapper's  larder  will  be  sup- 
plied with  all  the  varieties  and  luxuries  that  can  be  found  at 
the  St.  Nicholas,  or  at  a  Saratoga  hotel.  But  it  will  always 

*  For  a  winter  campaign,  we  would  recommend  the  addition  of  a  woolen  blanket. 

—  EDITORS. 


90  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

be  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  flesh,  fish,  and  fowl,  are  fresh 
from  their  native  elements,  and  have  not  hung  in  the  market 
two  or  three  weeks  before  coming  on  the  table. 

The  ways  of  cooking  in  camp  are  as  various  as  in  the 
Jcitchen  at  home.  Fresh  fish  can  be  fried  in  butter,  lard,  or 
the  fat  of  the  deer  ;  or  they  can  be  boiled,  or  broiled  and  but- 
tered. Venison  can  be  fried,  or  broiled  in  cutlets,  or  roasted 
before  a  camp-fire  in  joints,  or  stewed  a  la  fricassee,  or  boiled 
into  soup  with  potatoes.  Squirrels,  ducks,  partridges,  wood- 
cock, quails,  pigeons,  prairie  fowls,  and  any  other  game  that 
comes  to  hand,  can  be  fried,  broiled,  or  boiled  as  well  in  the 
woods  as  in  the  best  hotel. 

The  very  best  way  of  cooking  fish  and  fowl  ever  devised  is 
familiar  to  woodsmen,  but  unknown  to  city  epicures.  It  is 
this :  Take  a  large  fish  —  say  a  trout  of  three  or  four  pounds, 
fresh  from  its  gambols  in  the  cool  stream  —  cut  a  small  hole 
at  the  neck  and  abstract  the  intestines.  Wash  the  inside 
clean,  and  season  it  with  pepper  and  salt ;  or  if  convenient, 
fill  it  with  stuffing  made  of  bread-crumbs  or  crackers  chopped 
up  with  meat.  Make  a  fire  outside  the  tent,  and  when  it  has 
burned  down  to  embers,  rake  it  open,  put  in  the  fish,  and 
cover  it  with  the  coals  and  hot  ashes.  Within  an  hour  take 
it  from  its  bed,  peel  off  the  skin  from  the  clean  flesh,  and  you 
will  have  a  trout  with  all  its  original  juices  and  flavors  pre- 
served within  it ;  a  dish  too  good,  as  Izaak  Walton  would  say, 
44  for  any  but  very  honest  men." 

Grouse,  ducks,  and  various  other  fowls  can  be  cooked  de- 
liciously  in  a  similar  way.  The  intestines  of  the  bird  should 
be  taken  out  by  a  small  hole  at  the  vent,  and  the  inside 
washed  and  stuffed  as  before.  Then  wet  the  feathers  thor- 
oughly, and  cover  with  hot  embers.  When  the  cooking  is 
finished,  peel  off  the  burnt  feathers  and  skin,  and  you  will  find 
underneath  a  lump  of  nice  juicy  flesh,  which,  when  once 
tasted,  will  never  be  forgotten.  The  peculiar  advantage  of 
this  method  of  roasting  is  that  the  covering  of  embers  pre- 
vents the  escape  of  the  juices  by  evaporation. 

Everybody  knows  how  to  cook  potatoes  and  make  tea  and 
coffee,  and  anybody  fit  for  a  trapper  must  "  know  beans,'*  and 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS.  91 

how  to  cook  them.  But  bread  !  asks  the  novice  ;  what  are 
we  to  do  for  bread  ?  Well,  we  have  good,  sifted  Indian  meal, 
and  we  will  put  some  into  a  basin  or  pail,  add  a  little  salt,  pour 
on  scalding  water,  and  mix  to  the  consistency  of  stiff  batter. 
After  our  venison  or  fish  is  cooked,  we  will  put  this  batter 
into  the  hot  fat  that  remains,  a  spoonful  in  a  place,  leveling  it 
down  smoothly,  and  turning  it  over  till  it  is  "  done  brown." 
Such  a  Johnnycake,  served  up  with  butter  and  sugar,  would 
tempt  a  man  to  leave  the  best  wheat  bread  that  ever  was 
made. 

JERKED    MEAT. 

If  you  have  the  fortune  to  kill  a  deer  or  a  moose  in  warm 
weather,  and  have  an  over-supply  of  meat  that  is  likely  to  be 
tainted,  you  can  preserve  it  by  the  following  process  :  Cut  all 
the  flesh  from  the  bones  in  thin  strips,  and  place  them,  for 
convenience,  on  the  inside  of  the  hide.  Add  two  or  three 
quarts  of  salt  for  a  moose,  and  a  pint  and  a  half  for  a  deer,  well 
worked  in.  Cover  the  whole  with  the  sides  and  corners  of 
the  hide  to  keep  out  flies,  and  let  it  remain  in  this  condition 
about  two  hours.  Drive  four  forked  stakes  into  the  ground 
so  as  to  form  a  square  of  about  eight  or  ten  feet,  leaving  the 
forks  four  feet  high.  Lay  two  poles  across  one  way  in  these 
forks,  and  fill  the  whole  space  the  other  way  with  poles  laid 
on  the  first  two,  about  two  inches  apart.  The  strips  of  flesh 
should  then  be  laid  across  the  poles,  and  a  small  fire  of  clean 
hard  wood  should  be  started  underneath,  and  kept  up  for 
twenty-four  hours.  This  process  will  reduce  the  weight  of 
the  flesh  more  than  half,  bringing  it  to  a  condition  like  that 
of  dried  or  smoked  beef,  in  which  it  will  keep  any  length  of 
time.  This  is  called  jerked  venison.  It  is  good  eating,  and 
always  commands  a  high  price  in  market.  An  over-supply 
of  fish  can  be  treated  in  the  same  manner.  They  should  be 
split  open  on  the  back  and  the  backbone  taken  out. 

PREPARATIONS   AGAINST   INSECTS. 

In  the  warm  months,  chiefly  from  the  first  of  June  to  the 
first  of  September,  woodsmen  are  annoyed  by  myriads  of  flies, 
gnats,  and  mosquitoes.  These  can  be  driven  out  of  a  tent  by 


92  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

smoke,  and  can  be  kept  out  by  buttoning  all  tight.  But  the 
trapper  should  also  provide  himself  with  a  protective  against 
these  pests.  A  good  preparation  for  this  purpose  may  be 
made  by  warming  about  three  ounces  of  hog's  lard,  and  add- 
ing to  it  half  an  ounce  of  the  oil  of  pennyroyal.  This  oint- 
ment, applied  once  in  an  hour  or  less,  to  the  parts  exposed, 
will  give  entire  protection. 

Another  preparation  can  be  made  by  mixing  equal  parts  of 
common  tar  with  sweet  oil,  applying  as  before.  This  prepa- 
ration is  by  some  considered  the  best,  because  it  also  prevents 
tanning,  and  is  easily  washed  off  with  soap,  leaving  the  skin 
soft  and  white. 

THE    SHANTY. 

The  tent  which- 1  have  recommended  is  probably  best 
adapted  to  the  irregular  operations  of  amateur  sportsmen,  the 
volunteers  and  guerrillas  of  the  trap.  The  old  regulars  and 
veterans  of  the  service  always  have  built,  and  probably  will 
continue  to  build,  rude  huts,  called  shanties,  at  various  points 
in  the  region  of  their  operations.  Shanties  are  of  two  kinds, 
temporary  and  permanent.  The  temporary  shanty  is  made 
by  driving  two  forked  stakes  into  the  ground,  laying  a  ridge- 
pole across,  leaning  many  other  poles  against  this,  and  cover- 
ing the  skeleton  thus  formed  with  bark  or  split  boards.  The 
permanent  shanty  is  made  of  logs,  laid  one  above  another  in 
a  square  form,  joined  at  the  corners  by  means  of  notches,  and 
roofed  over  with  split  logs  formed  into  troughs,  and  placed  in 
this  form  :  /^^^^^  The  crevices  should  be  stopped 

with  clay  or  moss.  At  one  end  a  rude  fire-place  and  chimney 
of  stone  should  be  built,  the  latter  reaching  just  above  the  top 
of  the  shanty. 

TRAPPING    LINES. 

Trapping,  when  carried  on  systematically  and  on  the  large 
scale,  has,  like  an  army,  its  lines  of  operation,  its  depots  of 
provisions,  and  its  arrangements  for  keeping  open  its  commu- 
nications with  its  base.  The  general  proceedings  of  a  regular 
trapping  campaign  may  be  described  as  follows  :  The  trapping 


,).,  t^'*"** 

Huh 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS.  93 

company,  which  consists  generally  of  two,  three,  or  four  per- 
sons, start  out  a  little  before  the  trapping  season  commences ; 
select  their  lines,  extending  into  the  woods  frequently  from 
thirty  to  fifty  miles ;  carry  along,  and  deposit  at  intervals  on 
the  line,  traps  and  provisions ;  and  build  shanties  at  conven- 
ient points,  for  sleeping-posts  and  shelters  from  storms.  These 
preparations  sometimes  require  several  journeys  and  returns, 
and  are  made  in  advance  of  the  trapping  season,  so  that,  when 
trapping  commences,  all  hands  may  have  nothing  else  to  at- 
tend to.  If  the  line  extends  directly  from  a  settlement,  so 
that  it  has  what  may  be  called  a  home-base,  none  but  rude, 
temporary  shanties  are  built ;  and  once  in  about  ten  days, 
during  the  season,  a  man  is  sent  back  to  the  settlement,  to 
carry  out  furs  and  bring  back  provisions.  But,  if  the  line 
commences  so  far  from  the  frontier  that  such  return-journeys 
are  impracticable,  then,  besides  the  temporary  shanties,  a 
more  substantial  and  permanent  hut,  called  the  home-shanty, 
is  built  at  some  point  on  the  line,  for  depositing  furs,  provis- 
ions, and  other  valuables  ;  and  this  becomes  the  base  of  opera- 
tions for  the  season.  A  boy  is  sometimes  taken  along  to 
"  keep  shanty,"  as  trappers  say,  i.  e.,  to  remain  at  the  home- 
shanty  as  housekeeper  and  guard.  Such  a  resident  at  the 
main  depot  is  very  necessary,  as  bears  and  other  wild  animals 
(not  to  mention  fire  and  human  thieves)  have  a  habit  of 
breaking  into  an  unguarded  shanty,  and  destroying  every- 
thing within  reach.  Prudent  trappers  rarely  leave  furs  in  a 
shanty  alone,  even  though  it  is  strongly  barricaded.  If  they 
cannot  carry  them  out  to  the  settlement,  and  have  no  boy  to 
44  keep  shanty,"  they  generally  hide  them  in  hollow  trees.  At 
the  close  of  a  season,  if  the  party  are  satisfied  with  their  line, 
and  intend  to  trap  on  it  another  season,  they  hide  their  traps 
under  rocks,  where  they  will  not  be  exposed  to  the  fires  that 
sweep  the  woods  in  dry  times. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  trapper's  art,  like  that  to  which  I  have  so  often  com- 
pared it  —  the  art  of  war  —  is,  or  should  be,  progressive.  It 
is  evidently  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  has  hardly  begun  to  emerge 


94  THE  TRAPPER'S  ART. 

from  the  narrowness  and  ignorance  of  mere  individual  cun- 
ning, into  the  liberal  inventiveness  and  broad  combinations 
which  will  come  when  trappers  shall  gather  into  conventions, 
compare  experiences,  and  avail  themselves  of  the  help  that  all 
sciences  are  ready  to  give  them.  All  that  I  can  claim  to  have 
done  in  the  preceding  pages  is,  the  presentation  of  the  art  of 
capturing  animals,  curing  their  skins,  and  living  in  the  woods, 
as  it  now  stands,  or  at  least  as  I  understand  it. 


THE  TRAPPER'S  FOOD. 

BY  T.  L.  PITT. 


THE  trapper  on  his  expeditions  must  often  depend  on  his 
rifle  or  trap  for  subsistence.  I  will  indicate  the  leading  kinds 
of  game  which  supply  his  wants,  and  methods  of  obtaining 
them. 

DEER. 

Among  food  animals,  Mr.  Newhouse  has  noticed  the  Deer 
and  Moose.  These  are  the  trapper's  most  desirable  game 
throughout  all  northern  countries.  In  America,  we  have  the 
common  Red  or  Virginia  Deer ;  the  Black-tailed  Deer,  two 
varieties ;  the  Long-tailed  Deer  of  the  Pacific  slope  ;  the 
Wapita  or  Stag,  once  distributed  over  a  large  portion  of  the 
Continent,  but  now  found  principally  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
in  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory,  and  in  some  parts  of 
British  America  ;  the  Moose  ;  two  varieties  of  the  Caribou 
or  Reindeer,  in  British  America ;  and  the  Mule  Deer  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  In  Europe  and  Asia  are  the  Moose  or 
Elk  ;  the  Stag  or  Red  Deer ;  the  Fallow  Deer ;  the  Rein- 
deer ;  the  Persian  or  Indian  Red  Deer ;  the  Thibetan  Stag ; 
the  Sika  of  Japan  ;  the  Axis  Deer  of  India ;  besides  many 
other  varieties  in  Asia,  especially  in  the  southern  part. 

The  best  method,  and  the  one  most  to  be  relied  on  by  the 
trapper,  for  hunting  Deer,  is  what  is  called  the  "  still  hunt." 
The  practice  of  hunting  by  boat  and  torch  on  lakes  and 
streams,  at  night,  is  only  adapted  to  the  summer  months,  when 
trapping  is  out  of  the  question,  and  when  Deer  should  not  be 
hunted,  it  being  their  breeding  season.  The  plan  of  running 
Deer  into  lakes  with  dogs,  though  often  practiced,  is  discarded 


96  THE  TRAPPER'S  FOOD. 

and  condemned  by  the  best  Deer  hunters,  as  it  tends  to  make 
the  Deer  wild,  and  to  drive  them  into  other  regions.  It  may 
be  resorted  to  when  necessary,  but  cannot  be  recommended. 
It  involves  also  the  keeping  of  a  dog  which  is  generally  of 
little  use  for  any  other  purpose,  and  is  a  constant  bill  of  ex- 
pense. "  Still  hunting  "  is  practised  by  finding  the  fresh  track 
of  the  Deer,  and  carefully  and  noiselessly  following  up  the 
trail  till  the  location  of  the  animal  is  discovered,  when,  by 
careful  approach,  a  good  shot  can  generally  be  obtained. 
Practiced  Deer  hunters  become  wonderfully  keen,  accurate, 
and  successful  in  the  still  hunt.  Messrs.  Holland  and  Gunter, 
of  Hastings  County,  Canada  West,  —  the  former  of  whom  is 
one  of  the  most  accomplished  deer-hunters  in  Canada,  —  give 
the  following  directions  for  this  method  :  — 

"  For  still  hunting,  the  hunter  should  provide  himself  with  a  good 
rifle  and  a  pair  of  deer-skin  moccasins.  When  finding  the  trail  he 
should  walk  carefully,  and  keep  a  good  lookout  ahead,  as  Deer  are 
always  watching  back  on  their  trail.  When  routed  they  almost  al- 
ways stop  on  hills.  In  order  to  get  within  gunshot  it  is  necessary 
to  circle  round  and  come  up  toward  them  in  front  or  at  the  side  — 
always  circling  to  the  leeward  side,  as  their  sense  of  smell  is  very 
acute.  The  Deer,  when  the  early  snows  come,  usually  get  up  and 
feed  till  about  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.  ;  then  they  lie  down  till  about  three 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  they  start  on  a  rambling  excursion  till  near 
the  next  morning.  In  these  excursions  they  almost  always  return 
to  the  place  from  whence  they  started,  or  near  to  it." 

In  still  hunting,  if  buck,  doe  and  fawns  are  found  together, 
shoot  the  doe  first,  as  in  that  case  the  buck  will  not  leave  the 
place  till  you  have  had  opportunity  for  another  shot.  Deer 
when  they  lie  down,  turn  off  from  their  run-way,  or  track, 
and  take  a  zigzag  course  back  a  short  distance.  They  lie  in  a 
position  which  commands  a  view  of  the  back  track. 

THE    BUFFALO. 

This  animal  is  the  great  resource  of  the  hunter  for  food 
on  the  western  plains.  Their  range  is  from  Texas  to 
within  about  twenty  miles  of  the  Great  Slave  Lake.  But 
few,  however,  reach  this  latter  limit.  They  are  seldom  found 


THE  BUFFALO.  97 

west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  never,  at  the  present  time, 
east  of  the  Mississippi.  They  are  migratory  animals,  mov- 
ing north  in  the  spring  with  the  advance  of  vegetation,  and 
south  in  the  autumn  with  the  decline  of  pasturage.  They 
move  in  large  bodies,  grazing  as  they  go,  and  breed  on  the 
march.  They  usually  reach  the  Platte  River  on  their  way 
north  about  the  last  of  May.  On  their  return  they  reach  the 
same  river  in  September.  A  few  probably  winter  north  of 
that  latitude.  These  are  mostly  animals  that  wander  from 
the  great  herds  and  get  lost  among  the  valleys  in  the  moun- 
tains. On  the  uplands  the  Buffaloes  live  on  a  short,  fine 
grass,  called  Buffalo  grass.  On  the  low  lands  they  feed  on 
a  coarse,  high  grass.  On  their  general  march  they  move  in 
a  scattered,  grazing  order.  Only  when  disturbed  do  they 
herd  together  and  move  in  compact  masses:  When  moving 
in  the  mass  they  stop  for  nothing,  rushing  through  ravines, 
swimming  rivers,  and  trampling  all  ordinary  obstacles  under 
foot.  It  is  exceedingly  dangerous  to  get  in  the  way  of  a 
drove  when  on  the  rush.  They  should  only  be  approached 
on  the  outskirts.  Cows  run  the  fastest.  The  bulls  generally 
take  the  lead  when  the  rush  is  made,  but  are  soon  out- 
stripped by  the  cows.  The  cows  and  calves  keep  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  drove.  A  drove  lie  down  where  night  over- 
takes them. 

The  common  way  of  hunting  the  Buffalo  is  on  horseback, 
as  a  person  on  foot  cannot  approach  them  without  screening 
himself.  Experienced  hunters  prefer  a  largest  sized  or  eight 
inch  navy  revolver  for  hunting  them.  A  breech-loading  car- 
bine or  rifle,  is  also  a  good  weapon.  Find  a  drove  feeding. 
Approach  them  from  the  leeward  side,  otherwise  the  animals 
will  scent  you  and  move  off.  They  are  not  disturbed  by  a 
horse  as  long  as  they  do  not  scent  the  rider.  Lie  down  on  the 
horse  and  let  him  gradually  work  his  way  into  the  drove. 
Select  a  cow  and  approach  her  on  the  left  side  if  you  have  a 
pistol,  on  the  right  side  if  you  have  a  rifle,  in  order,  in  either 
case,  that  you  may  have  the  best  opportunity  for  using  your 
weapon.  Shoot  for  the  heart,  which  lies,  comparatively,  very 
low.  The  ball  should  be  aimed  just  back  of  the  fore  leg,  a  few 


°^  THE   TRAPPER'S   FOOD. 

inches  above  the  brisket.  The  ball  if  aimed  right  will  gen- 
erally go  through,  and  the  animal  will  soon  bleed  to  death. 
New  hunters  are  liable  to  aim  too  high,  being  deceived  by  the 
height  of  the  hump  on  the  shoulders.  They  suppose  the 
heart  is  near  the  middle  of  the  space  from  the  top  of  the 
shoulders  to  the  brisket ;  it  is  some  distance  below  that  point. 
The  danger  in  Buffalo  hunting  for  beginners,  is  in  getting 
too  far  into  the  drove.  As  soon  as  an  animal  is  wounded 
the  rest  take  the  alarm  and  close  round,  and  if  the  hunter 
has  not  secured  a  way  of  escape  he  will  probably  be  run 
down  and  both  horse  and  rider  destroyed.  When  chasing  a 
Buffalo  and  shooting  on  the  gallop,  the  hunter  should  bring  his 
horse  into  time  with  the  animal ;  otherwise  he  will  probably 
miss  his  aim.  He  should  fire  just  as  the  horse  and  the  Buf- 
falo strike  the  ground  with  the  fore  feet. 

The  cows  are  best  for  eating.  The  tongue  and  tender-loin 
are  preferred,  the  rest  of  the  meat  being  rather  coarse,  espe- 
cially that  of  the  bulls,  unless  the  animals  are  fat.  It  is,  how- 
ever, all  eatable,  and  somewhat  resembles  beef,  but  has  a 
strong,  peculiar,  wild  flavor  of  its  own.  Much  of  its  reputa- 
tion may  be  due  to  the  good  appetites  of  those  who  hunt  it. 

The  cows  furnish  the  Buffalo  robes  of  commerce,  the  skins 
of  the  bulls  having  no  fur  on  the  hinder  parts,  and  only  the 
long  coarse  mane  in  front ;  their  hinder  parts  are  covered  with 
short  hair.  The  bull- skins  make  a  coarse  kind  of  leather, 
used  by  the  Indians  of  the  plains  to  cover  their  wigwams  and 
for  other  purposes. 

THE    MOUFFLONS  OK  GREAT    HORNED    SHEEP. 

There  are  several  species  of  wild  sheep  which  are  of  some 
interest  to  the  trapper.  The  first  of  these  is 

THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAIN    SHEEP    OR    BIG-HORN. 

This  animal  is  larger  than  the  common  sheep,  being  some- 
times six  feet  long,  about  three  feet  high  at  the  shoulders,  and 
weighing  nearly  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  They  are 
found  throughout  the  whole  range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
from  the  30th  to  the  68th  degree  of  north  latitude.  The  horns 


THE  ARGALL  99 

of  the  males  are  enormous,  measuring  over  'two  feet  ten 
inches  in  length  round  the  curve,  and  being  very  large  at 
the  base.  Their  color  is  a  rufous  gray,  except  the  rump, 
belly,  and  the  inside  of  the  hind  legs,  all  of  which  are  a  gray- 
ish white.  In  winter  they  become  lighter-colored.  The  hair 
is  coarse  and  slightly  crimped.  Underneath  the  hair  is  a  soft 
fur  or  wool.  The  Big-horn  is,  or  becomes  after  contact  with 
hunters,  an  exceedingly  shy,  wild  animal.  In  the  retired  parts 
of  the  mountains  where  they  have  never  been  hunted,  they 
are  sometimes  found  quite  tame  and  unsuspecting.  They  are 
gregarious  and  live  in  small  flocks  among  the  peaks  and  most 
inaccessible  regions  of  the  mountains,  never  descending  into 
the  plains.  They  subsist  on  mountain  grass  and  herbage,  and 
inhabit  the  rocky  recesses.  The  young  rams  and  the  females 
herd  together  during  the  winter  and  spring,  while  the  old  rams 
separate  in  flocks,  except  at  the  rutting  season  in  December. 
The  rams  fight  fiercely  with  each  other  like  common  rams. 
The  ewes  bring  forth  one  or  two  young  in  June  and  July. 

The  flesh  of  the  Big-horn  is  excellent,  superior  to  the  best 
venison  or  the  finest  mutton.  They  can  only  be  hunted  suc- 
cessfully by  the  exercise  of  extreme  caution  and  strategy  in 
approaching  them  ;  and  if  only  wounded  by  the  first  fire  they 
retire  to  their  recesses  among  the  rocks,  and  there  die,  inac- 
cessible to  the  hunter.  Dogs  are  worse  than  useless  in  hunt- 
ing them. 

Another  Moufflon  is 

THE    ARGALI. 

The  Argali  of  Siberia  and  Central  Asia  greatly  resembles 
the  American  big-horn,  and  some  naturalists  have  regarded 
them  as  the  same  species.  They  are  very  large,  being  about 
four  feet  high  at  the  shoulders  and  proportionately  large  in 
build.  The  horns  of  a  full  grown  male  are  nearly  four  feet 
in  length,  measured  along  the  curve,  and  about  nineteen 
inches  in  circumference  at  the  base.  They  rise  from  the  fore- 
head a  short  distance,  then  curve  downward  below  the  chin, 
then  recurve  upward  and  terminate  in  a  point.  They  are 
mountain-loving  animals  and  are  found  in  the  highlands  and 


100  THE    TRAPPER'S  FOOD. 

* 

mountain  ranges  of  Siberia  and  Central  Asia.  They  are  very- 
fleet  and  sure  of  foot,  and  when  disturbed  rush  to  the  most 
inaccessible  places  among  the  rocks  and  peaks.  They  are 
gregarious  and  live  in  small  flocks.  In  the  winter  these  flocks 
are  sometimes  enveloped  in  the  deep  snow-drifts.  In  such 
cases  they  lie  quietly  under  the  snow  and  respire  through  a 
small  breathing-hole.  The  hunters  eagerly  hunt  for  these 
imprisoned  Argalis,  and  spear  them  through  the  snow.  At 
other  times  they  are  hunted  with  the  same  cautious  strategy 
that  is  required  in  the  case  of  the  big-horn. 

THE    PRONG-HORN    ANTELOPE. 

This  animal  abounds  on  the  western  plains  of  the  United 
States.  It  is  the  only  species  of  Antelope  in  North  America. 
It  is  of  nearly  the  same  size  as  the  Virginia  deer.  They  differ 
from  all  other  Antelopes  in  having  a  prong  or  branch  on  each 
horn.  This  prong  is  situated  about  the  middle  of  the  horn 
on  the  anterior  face.  The  tops  of  the  horns  curve  inward 
and  backward,  forming  a  small  hook  like  those  of  the  cha- 
mois. The  legs  of  the  Prong-horn  are  long  and  slender, 
the  ears  long,  narrow,  and  pointed,  and  the  tail  short  and 
bushy.  The  whole  form  is  stately,  elegant,  and  graceful. 
The  color  of  the  upper  parts  is  a  yellowish-brown ;  the  under 
parts,  with  a  patch  on  the  rump,  are  grayish-white.  Their 
favorite  haunts  are  the  low  prairies  adjoining  the  covered 
woody  bottoms.  They  are  also  found  on  the  upland  prairies, 
and  along  the  rivers  and  streams.  They  swim  well.  They 
sometimes  congregate  in  large  flocks ;  at  other  times  only  one 
or  two  are  seen.  In  the  winter  the  Indians  take  advantage 
of  their  congregating  together  and  hunt  them  by  a  "  sur- 
round." The  manner  of  doing  this  is  as  follows :  A  large 
number  of  Indians  distribute  themselves  around  the  Antelope 
at  such  a  distance  as  not  to  alarm  them.  Then  they  advance 
with  cries  and  noise  from  all  sides.  The  Antelope,  instead  of 
endeavoring  to  escape,  herd  closer  together  in  their  fright,  and 
suffer  themselves  to  be  beaten  down  with  clubs.  In  this  way 
great  numbers  are  sometimes  killed.  Though  very  wild  and 
shy,  the  Antelope  is  full  of  curiosity.  Any  novel  object  at- 


THE  RUFFED   GROUSE.  101 

tracts  their  attention.  At  length  curiosity  overcomes  timidity, 
and  they  advance  to  examine  it.  The  hunter  takes  advantage 
of  this  trait.  Concealing  himself,  he  attaches  a  red  or  white 
flag  to  his  ramrod,  and  with  it  attracts  the  animal  within 
range  of  his  rifle.  Their  sense  of  smell  is  very  acute,  conse- 
quently the  hunter  should  always  keep  to  the  leeward  of  them. 
They  are  among  the  fleetest  of  all  animals.  They  inhabit  all 
the  western  part  of  North  America  from  the  Saskatchewan 
to  the  plains  of  New  Mexico.  Their  flesh  is  inferior  to  that 
of  the  deer. 

SQUIRREL   HUNTING. 

Squirrels  are  usually  considered  "  small  game"  by  trappers, 
requiring  more  ammunition  to  kill  them  than  they  are  worth. 
There  are  times,  however,  when  they  furnish  an  acceptable 
addition  to  woodland  fare.  The  best  way  to  hunt  them  is 
this :  Find  a  piece  of  woods  where  they  abound.  Go  into 
the  woods  and  seat  yourself  on  a  fallen  tree  or  rock.  Remain 
motionless  and  quiet.  Soon  you  will  begin  to  hear  the  Squir- 
rels at  their  work  or  see  them  among  the  trees.  By  patience 
and  the  most  quiet  strategic  movements  you  will  soon  get  a 
shot.  Several  may  sometimes  be  shot  from  one  position,  in  a 
short  time.  The  great  point  in  Squirrel  hunting  is  to  avoid 
all  unnecessary  moving  about. 

GROU8E. 

The  Grouse  family  furnishes  the  trapper  his  most  desirable 
winged  game,  throughout  the  world.  In  this  country  the 
leading  kinds  of  Grouse  are  the  following :  — 

THE    RUFFED    GROUSE. 

This  bird  is  know^n  in  New  England  as  the  Partridge,  and 
in  some  of  the  Southern  and  Middle  States  as  the  Pheasant. 
Neither  of  these  names  is  the  proper  one,  for  this  bird  belongs 
to  neither  the  partridge  nor  the  pheasant  families.  The  wild 
turkeys  are  the  only  representatives  of  the  pheasant  family 
in  North  America;  and  the  so-called  quail  is  our  true  par- 
tridge. Let  us  hereafter,  not  only  as  naturalists,  but  as  hunters 
and  trappers,  call  this  noble  bird  by  its  true  American  name 


102  THE  TRAPPER'S  FOOD. 

—  Ruffed  Grouse.  There  are  three  species  of  the  Ruffed 
Grouse :  the  common  species  which  inhabits  the  country 
from  the  Southern  States  to  Labrador  and  the  Saskatche- 
wan ;  the  Oregon  or  Sabine's  Grouse  of  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains and  the  Pacific  slope,  and  the  Allied  Grouse  inhabiting 
the  Rocky  Mountains  northward  to  the  frozen  regions.  The 
Oregon  Grouse  is  much  darker  and  redder  than  the  common 
species.  The  Allied  Grouse  is  of  a  light  gray  color,  and  is 
smaller  than  either  of  the  others.  All  are  excellent  for  the 
table.  Ruffed  Grouse  are  generally  found  in  small  flocks, 
except  where  they  have  been  much  hunted.  In  the  latter 
case  more  than  two  are  rarely  found  together.  They  delight 
in  upland  and  mountain  forests,  where  springs  and  small 
brooks  abound.  They  are  particularly  fond  of  the  high, 
sloping  banks  which  border  on  such  streams.  These  are 
their  favorite  feeding-grounds.  Their  flesh  is  white  and 
unsurpassed  in  flavor  by  other  Grouse.  They  should  be 
hunted  with  a  trained  dog.  Sportsmen  prefer  cockers.  In 
the  back  woods  they  may  occasionally  be  hunted  with  moder- 
ate success  without  a  dog ;  but  such  hunting  is  generally  tedi- 
ous and  uncertain.  They  are  easily  snared  by  building  a  low 
fence  of  twigs  with  occasional  openings,  large  enough  to  per- 
mit a  bird  to  pass  through,  and  placing  a  slip-noose  across  the 
opening.  The  noose  should  be  made  of  small  copper  wire. 
Some  hunters  prefer  to  attach  the  noose  to  a  spring-pole. 

THE    PINNATED    GROUSE. 

This  species  is  commonly  known  as  the  Prairie  Hen.  They 
formerly  existed  in  great  numbers  in  the  Atlantic  States,  but 
are  now  mostly  cenfined  to  the  prairies  and  plains  of  the  West, 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  within  the  limits  of  the  United 
States.  They  differ  from  the  ruffed  grouse  in  preferring  the 
open  country  to  the  forests.  They  choose  the  dry  lands  for 
their  habitat,  avoiding  as  far  as  possible  marshy  or  wet  places. 
They  depend  for  their  drink  on  the  dew  which  they  collect 
from  the  leaves  of  plants.  In  color  the  Prairie  Hen  resembles 
the  ruffed  grouse,  but  its  markings  are  different.  It  is  about 
nineteen  inches  long  and  when  in  good  order,  weighs  about 


THE  COCK   OF  THE  PLAINS.  103 

three  and  a  half  pounds.  Its  meat  is  dark-colored  but  fine  fla- 
vored. The  neck  is  furnished  with  a  pair  of  supplemental 
wings,  about  three  inches  long  ;  underneath  these  are  orange- 
colored  air-sacs,  which  can  be  inflated  to  the  size  of  a  medium 
sized  orange.  Audubon  says  that  when  these  sacs  are  "  per- 
fectly inflated,  the  bird  lowers  its  head  to  the  ground,  opens 
its  bill,  and  sends  forth,  as  it  were,  the  air  contained  in  these 
bladders  in  distinctly  separated  notes,  rolling  one  after  another 
from  loud  to  low,  and  producing  a  sound  like  that  of  a  large 
muffled  drum.  This  done,  the  bird  immediately  erects  itself, 
refills  its  receptacles  by  inhalation,  and  again  proceeds  with  its 
4  tootings.'  "  These  tootings  can  be  sometimes  heard  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile.  Their  food  consists  of  the  seeds  of  the 
sumach,  grapes,  grain,  wild  strawberries,  cranberries,  partridge- 
berries,  whortleberries,  blackberries  and  young  buds.  They 
also  eat  worms,  grasshoppers  and  insects,  and  in  winter  feed 
on  acorns,  the  tender  buds  of  the  pine,  clover  leaves,  and, 
when  possible,  frequent  grain  stubbles.  They  are  best  hunted 
with  a  trained  dog. 

THE    SHARP-TAIL    GROUSE. 

This  bird  is  allied  to  and  greatly  resembles  the  preceding. 
It  takes  the  place  of  the  prairie  hen  in  the  far  West,  on  the 
plains  that  skirt  the  eastern  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
It  avoids  the  highlands  and  mountains,  and  has  its  habitat  on 
the  prairie  and  open  grounds.  There  they  congregate  in 
flocks,  feeding  on  wild  rye.  Near  settlements  they  frequent 
grain  stubbles.  They  hybridize  with  the  pinnated  grouse, 
and  are  equally  excellent  for  food.  They  are  destitute  of  the 
gular  sacs  on  the  neck.  Their  range  extends  northward 
into  British  America.  In  the  far  North  there  is  another 
species  called  the  Arctic  Sharp-tailed  Grouse.  They  are 
about  the  same  in  size  as  the  preceding,  but  are  darker  in- 
color,  being  black  where  the  other  is  brown. 

THE    COCK    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

This  is  the  largest  of  the  American  grouse.  Its  common 
name  is  the  Sage  Cock.  Its  habitat  is  chiefly  on  the  western 


104  THE  TRAPPER'S   FOOD. 

plains  on  both  sides  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  where  the  wild 
sage  or  artemisia  grows.  It  feeds  on  the  leaves  of  this  plant, 
which  being  very  bitter,  give  the  flesh  an  unpalatable  flavor. 
In  the  autumn,  however,  they  frequent  the  streams  of  the 
Columbia,  where  they  feed  on  the  pulpy-leaved  thorn.  At 
this  season  their  flesh  is  good.  The  males  have  large,  orange- 
colored  gular  sacs  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  which  they  inflate, 
and  by  expelling  the  air  produce  "  a  loud,  grating  noise, 
resembling  hurr-hurr-r-r-hoo,  ending  in  a  deep  hollow  tone, 
not  unlike  the  sound  caused  by  blowing  into  a  large  reed." 
Their  general  color  is  light  brown,  marked  with  black,  dark 
brown  and  yellowish  white.  They  are  large,  weighing  fre- 
quently five  or  six  pounds.  The  tail  is  long  and  pheasant- 
shaped. 

THE    DUSKY    GROUSE. 

The  species  next  in  size  to  the  preceding  is  the  Dusky 
Grouse,  sometimes  called  the  Pine  Grouse.  It  is  an  inhabit- 
ant of  the  Pacific  slope  and  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  from 
the  Columbia  River  to  Texas.  They  are  supposed  to  be  par- 
tially migratory,  leaving  their  accustomed  haunts  in  November 
and  being  absent  until  spring.  Their  flesh  is  said  to  be  excel- 
lent, having  a  slight  pine  flavor,  which  is  not  disagreeable. 
The  Dusky  Grouse  is  easily  captured.  Their  habit  is  to  spend 
most  of  their  time  on  the  ground.  They  lie  close  till  almost 
stepped  on,  and  when  disturbed  take  refuge  in  the  nearest 
tree,  alighting  among  the  branches  and  remaining  motionless. 
Richardson's  Grouse  resembles  the  Dusky  Grouse,  but  its  hab- 
itat is  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  the  South  Pass  northward. 

THE    SPRUCE    OR    CANADA    GROUSE. 

This  bird  is  found  from  the  northern  United  States  to  the 
Arctic  Sea,  and  from  the  Atlantic  nearly  to  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains. Their  favorite  habitat  is  the  thick  evergreen  swamps. 
They  are  less  wild  and  shy  than  the  other  kinds  of  Grouse, 
and  are  said  to  be  easily  tamed.  When  confined,  they  feed 
readily  on  oats,  wheat,  or  other  grain.  Their  flesh  is  quite 
dark,  and  in  winter,  when  they  feed  on  the  leaves  of  ever- 
greens, is  unpalatable.  In  the  season  of  berries  it  is  much 


THE  WILLOW  PTARMIGAN.  105 

better  flavored.  In  the  Rocky  Mountains  a  species  of  Grouse 
is  found  which  closely  resembles  the  Spruce  Grouse,  except 
that  its  habitat  is  in  the  mountains  rather  than  in  the  swamps. 
This  species  is  called  Franklin's  Grouse. 

PTARMIGAN. 

Allied  to  the  grouse,  and  known  by  the  name  of  Snow 
Grouse  are  the  Ptarmigans.  They  inhabit  the  northern  parts 
of  both  continents,  especially  the  cold  snowy  regions  near  or 
within  the  Arctic  Circle.  They  differ  from  the  common 
Grouse  in  having  their  legs  and  feet  completely  feathered, 
leaving  no  portion  of  the  body  exposed  except  the  bill  and 
nails.  They  all  turn  white  in  winter,  but  in  summer  are 
beautifully  mottled  with  various  colors.  Only  one  species  has 
its  habitat  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States.  This  is  the 

WHITE-TAILED    PTARMIGAN 

of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  inhabit  the  regions  of 
eternal  snow,  and  only  descend  to  the  lower  levels  to  breed. 
Not  much  is  known  of  this  species  except  that  they  are  wild 
and  shy.  Their  color  in  winter  is  the  same  as  their  snowy 
surroundings,  and  in  summer  resembles  that  of  the  moss  and 
lichen  covered  rocks. 

THE    WILLOW    PTARMIGAN. 

This  is  an  important  bird  and  furnishes  a  large  amount 
of  food  to  the  inhabitants  of  British  America,  particularly  to 
the  natives  and  trappers  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory.  In 
winter  they  sometimes  enter  the  limits  of  the  Northern  States, 
and  their  range  is  from  Nova  Scotia  and  Newfoundland  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Arctic  Sea.  They  breed  plentifully 
in  Newfoundland,  Labrador  and  the  fur  countries.  They 
live  mostly  on  the  ground.  They  are  wonderfully  prolific, 
and  vast  numbers  of  them  are  found  and  captured  in  some 
localities.  Hearne,  who  travelled  and  explored  in  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  region  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  gives  the  follow- 
ing account  of  them :  — 

"  They  are  by  far  the  most  numerous  of  the  grouse  species  that 


106  THE  TRAPPER'S  FOOD. 

'  are  found  in  Hudson's  Bay,  and  in  some  places,  when  permitted  to 
remain  undisturbed  for  a  considerable  time,  their  number  is  frequently 
so  great  as  almost  to  exceed  credibility.  I  shall  by  no  means  ex- 
ceed the  truth  if  I  assert  that  I  have  seen  upwards  of  four  hundred 
in  one  flock  near  Churchill  River ;  but  the  greatest  number  I  ever 
saw  was  on  the  north  side  of  Port  Nelson  River,  when  returning 
with  a  packet  in  March.  At  that  time  I  saw  thousands  flying  to  the 
north,  and  the  whole  surface  of  the  snow  seemed  to  be  in  motion  by 
those  that  were  feeding  on  the  tops  of  the  short  willows.  ...  In 
summer  they  eat  berries  and  small  herbage.  Their  food  in  winter 
being  dry  and  hard,  makes  it  necessary  for  them  to  swallow  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  gravel  to  promote  digestion,  but  the  great  depth 
of  snow  renders  it  very  scarce  during  that  season.  The  Indians, 
having  considered  this  point,  invented  the  method  now  in  vogue 
among  the  English  of  catching  them  in  nets  by  means  of  that  simple 
allurement,  a  heap  of  gravel.  The  nets  for  this  purpose  are  from 
eight  to  twelve  feet  square,  and  are  stretched  on  a  frame  of  wood, 
and  are  usually  set  on  the  ice  of  rivers,  creeks,  ponds,  and  lakes, 
about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  willows,  but  in  some  situations  not 
half  that  distance.  Under  the  centre  of  the  net  a  heap  of  snow  is 
thrown  up  to  the  size  of  one  or  two  bushels,  and,  when  well  packed, 
is  covered  with  gravel.  To  set  the  nets  when  thus  prepared  requires 
no  other  trouble  than  lifting  up  one  side  of  the  frame  and  supporting 
it  with  two  small  props  about  four  feet  long ;  a  line  is  fastened  to 
these  props,  the  other  end  being  conveyed  to  the  neighboring  wil- 
lows, so  that  a  man  can  always  get  at  it  without  being  seen  by  the 
birds  under  the  net.  When  everything  is  thus  prepared,  the  hunters 
go  to  the  adjacent  willows  and  woods,  and,  when  they  start  the  game, 
endeavor  to  drive  it  into  the  net,  which  at  times  is  no  hard  task,  as 
they  frequently  run  before  them  like  chickens ;  and  sometimes  re- 
quire no  driving,  for,  as  soon  as  they  see  the  black  heap  of  gravel 
on  the  snow  they  fly  straight  toward  it.  The  hunter  then  goes  to 
the  end  of  the  line,  and  when  he  sees  that  there  are  as  many  about 
the  gravel  as  the  net  can  cover,  or  as  many  as  are  likely  to  go  under 
at  that  time,  with  a  sudden  pull  he  hauls  down  the  stakes  and  the 
net  falls  on  the  snow,  and  incloses  the  greater  portion  of  the  birds 
that  are  under  it.  By  this  simple  contrivance  I  have  known  upwards 
of  three  hundred  caught  in  one  morning  by  three  persons." 

The  weight  of  the  Willow  Ptarmigan  is  about  one  and  a 
half  pounds.     Another  species  called  the  Rock  Ptarmigan  is 


WATER  FOWL.  107 

found  in  British  America,  throughout  nearly  the  same  range. 
They  are  smaller  than  the  Willow  Ptarmigan,  and  congregate 
together  in  great  numbers  in  the  open  grounds  in  winter. 

EUROPEAN    GROUSE. 

The  principal  Grouse  of  Europe  are  the  Capercaille  and  the 
Black  Grouse.  The  former  is  a  very  large  bird,  about  three 
feet  long,  and  inhabits  the  wooded  portions  of  Northern  Eu- 
rope, especially  those  of  Sweden  and  Norway.  The  Black 
Grouse  is  also  quite  large.  They  are  abundant  in  Sweden 
and  Norway,  and  Northern  Europe.  Several  species  of  ptar- 
migan are  also  found  on  the  Eastern  Continent. 

WATER    FOWL. 

Two  families  of  water  fowl  are  of  considerable  importance  to 
the  trapper.  These  are  the  Ducks  and  the  Geese.  The  for- 
mer are  so  familiar  as  to  need  no  description.  I  will  merely 
enumerate  the  species  that  are  esteemed  for  the  table.  These 
are  divided  into  the  sub-families  of  Sea  Ducks  and  River 
Ducks.  The  latter  principally  frequent  the  inland  waters, 
and  are  all  good  for  the  table.  They  are  the  Pin-tail,  the 
Mallard,  the  Black  or  Dusky,  fche  Shoveller,  the  Muscovy, 
the  Wood,  the  Widgeon,  the  Green-winged  and  Blue-winged 
Teal,  and  the  Gadwall.  Of  the  Sea  Ducks,  only  the  Red- 
head, the  Canvas-back,  and  the  Ring-neck  are  much  es- 
teemed. The  two  first  are  excellent.  All  the  vegetable-eat- 
ing ducks  are  adapted  to  table  use  ;  the  fish-eaters  are  poor. 
They  are  hunted  with  decoys  in  the  early  spring  and  fall,  and 
in  summer  with  punt  boats.  A  heavy  shoulder  gun  with  wide 
bore  and  long  range  is  used. 

The  Wild  Geese  spread  over  the  whole  of  this  Continent 
and  abound  in  Europe  and  Asia.  They  breed  in  the  far 
north.  They  migrate"  north  in  the  early  spring,  and  return 
south  late  in  the  fall.  In  the  fur-countries  of  British  Amer- 
ica they  constitute  the  principal  summer  food  of  the  inhabit- 
ants, and  are  *salted  down  in  great  numbers  for  winter  use. 
They  are  shot  from  behind  screens  on  the  margins  of  lakes 
and  rivers.  The  hunters  decoy  them  within  range  by  imitat- 
ing their  cries.  Tame  Geese  may  also  be  used  as  decoys. 


FISHING  IN  AUTUMN  AND  WINTER. 

BY  T.  L.  PITT. 


IN  the  fall,  beside  the  ordinary  methods  of  fishing  with  hook 
and  line,  which  are  too  familiar  to  need  description,  the  trap- 
per may  have  opportunity  for  spearing  salmon-trout  on  their 
spawning  beds.  This  operation,  to  be  successful,  requires  these 
preliminaries :  1,  plenty  of  fish,  and  good  spawning  beds ; 
2,  a  good  canoe  or  boat ;  3,  a  good  spear ;  4,  a  good  jack  ; 
5,  plenty  of  fat  pine  and  white-birch  bark ;  6,  favorable 
weather;  7,  an  expert  spear  man.  The  jack  is  a  sort  of  con- 
cave gridiron  structure,  made  of  wire  or  iron  rods,  and  placed 
on  an  upright  post  about  three  feet  and  a  half  high,  in  the 
bow  of  the  boat.  In  the  jack  the  fat  pine  and  birch  bark  are 
burned  to  give  light  to  the  spearman  and  those  who  paddle 
the  boat.  Fat  pine,  is  pine  that  is  full  of  pitch,  and  is  usually 
found  in  the  knots  and  roots  of  fallen  and  decayed  trees.  The 
spear  should  be  made  with  five  barbed  prongs,  about  five 
inches  in  length  and  three  fourths  of  an  inch  apart,  and  set  on 
a  line  with  each  other.  The  prongs  should  be  made  of  the 
best  steel,  well  tempered.  The  four  outer  prongs  should 
be  barbed  on  their  inside  edges.  The  middle  prong  on  both 
edges. 

The  practical  operation  of  spearing  is  as  follows.  Having 
arrived  on  the  spawning  ground  the  spearman  kindles  the  fire 
in  his  jack,  as  soon  as  it  is  dark  enough.  He  then  stands 
near  the  bow  with  spear  in  hand,  and  peers  keenly  down  into 
the  water  for  the  desired  fish.  The  paddler  stands  near  the 
stern,  and  follows  the  directions  of  the  spearman  in  paddling 
and  guiding  the  boat.  The  spearman  must  stand  firmly  in  the 
boat,  and  in  striking  must  allow  for  the  refraction  of  the  light 


NET-FISHING  IN  WINTER.  109 

in  the  water.  If  a  fish  appears  to  be  one  foot  below  the  sur- 
face, he  is  really  much  deeper,  and  if  you  strike  at  the  appar- 
ent depth  you  will  surely  miss  him.  The  spearman,  however, 
soon  learns  by  his  mistakes  to  make  the  proper  allowances  ; 
and  when  he  learns  this,  and  attains  self-poise,  calmness,  and 
quickness  of  movement,  will  be  successful. 

The  places  which  salmon-trout  choose  for  spawning  are  on 
the  westerly-looking  shores  of  lakes,  and  the  coasts  of  islands, 
where  the  slope  is  gentle,  and  covered  with  large,  clean  gravel 
and  rocks. 

FISHING    THROUGH    THE   ICE. 

In  winter,  brook  trout  may  be  caught  on  sand-bars,  where 
the  water  is  two  or  three  feet  deep,  and  lake  trout  in  deeper 
water,  by  cutting  holes  through  the  ice  and  fishing  with  hook 
and  line.  One  person  may  fish  with  several  lines  in  different 
holes,  by  using  tip-ups.  These  contrivances  are  made  in  this 
way :  Take  a  strip  of  shingle,  or  board,  two  inches  wide  and 
twonty  inches  long.  Bore  a  hole  through  it  near  one  end. 
Through  the  hole  insert  a  stick,  long  enough  to  reach  across 
the  hole  in  the  ice.  Then  fasten  your  fish-line  to  the  short 
end  of  the  strip,  and  drop  the  hooks  into  the  water.  When 
a  fish  bites  the  long  end  will  tip  up  and  attract  your  attention. 
Bait  with  any  sort  of  meat.  Cow's  udder  makes  excellent 
bait  on  account  of  its  toughness.  Salmon-trout  are  caught  in 
the  same  way,  only  in  deep  water,  where  the  banks  are  bold. 

NET-FISHING    IN    WINTER. 

Fishing  may  be  performed  under  the  ice  with  gill-nets  in 
the  following  manner  :  The  net  is  fastened  with  loops  or 
rings  to  a  long,  smooth  pole.  The  loops  or  rings  should  be 
large  enough  to  slip  easily  along  the  pole ;  or  if  preferred  the 
net  may  be  hung  on  a  rope,  each  end  of  which  is  fastened  to 
the  ends  of  the  pole.  Two  holes  are  then  cut  in  the  ice,  the 
length  of  the  net  apart,  and  the  pole  and  net  are  sunk  under 
the  ice  and  fastened  between  the  holes.  Two  cords  should  be 
attached  to  one  end  of  the  net,  near  the  pole,  and  brought 
up  and  fastened  above  the  ice,  one  through  each  hole.  When 
the  net  is  to  be  examined,  it  is  drawn  together  at  one  end  of 


110  FISHING  IN  AUTUMN  AND  WINTER. 

the  pole,  by  means  of  one  of  the  cords,  and  taken  up  through 
the  hole,  which  should  be  kept  open.  After  removing  the 
fish,  the  net  is  dropped  back  into  the  water  and  spread  out 
along  the  pole  again  by  means  of  the  other  cord.  Some 
fishers  prefer  to  swing  their  nets  on  a  rope  without  any  pole. 
In  this  case  holes  should  be  cut  through  the  ice,  six  or  eight 
feet  apart,  along  the  line  of  the  net,  and  the  rope  brought  up 
and  passed  over  sticks  laid  across  the  holes.  The  net  should 
also  be  arranged  with  cords,  so  that  it  can  be  examined  through 
the  middle  hole,  by  drawing  it  from  each  end  of  the  rope  to 
that  point. 


NOTES  ON  TKAPPING  AND  WOOD-CEAFT. 

BY  "F.  R." 


[THE  following  article  was  written  by  a  practical  trapper,  in  response 
to  an  invitation  from  Mr.  Newhouse,  and  partly  as  a  criticism  on  our  first 
edition  of  the  "  Guide."  As  his  suggestions  are  the  result  of  actual  expe- 
rience, they  will  be  found  interesting  to  the  trapper,  whether  strictly  fol- 
lowed or  not.  —  EDITORS.] 

IT  would  be  a  great  advantage  to  young  and  inexperienced 
trappers  if  they  could  have  descriptions  and  engravings  of  the 
foot-prints  or  tracks  of  animals.  Even  those  skilled  in  the 
trapper's  art  are  at  times  deceived  and  led  off  on  some  "  wild- 
goose  chase  "  for  want  of  such  information.  As  an  instance, 
I  will  relate  the  following  story  :  Once,  when  a  boy,  hunting 
in  a  well-settled  region  in  the  State  of  New  York,  I  discerned 
otter  signs.  The  otters  appeared  to  have  no  regular  abiding- 
place,  but  wandered  at  will,  up  and  down  the  stream,  a  dis- 
tance of  some  four  or  five  miles,  between  two  lakes.  There 
were  five  or  six  of  them,  and  so  "  shy  "  and  wary  were  they, 
that  they  defied  all  attempts  to  trap  them.  Having  at  length 
discovered  that  they  lurked  near  a  certain  "  deep  hole  "  in  the 
creek,  early  dawn  found  me  near  the  spot,  with  my  gun  well 
charged  with- buckshot,  and  accompanied  by  my  two  dogs, 
with  whose  assistance  I  expected  to  get  the  otter  out  of  the 
water,  when  I  killed  him.  There  was  a  piece  of  swamp  which 
I  had  to  cross,  in  order  to  reach  my  post  of  observation.  This 
swamp  lay  so  open  to  the  creek  that  I  crawled  across  it  on  my 
knees,  to  escape,  if  possible,  the  notice  of  the  otter,  should  any 
be  lurking  near,  dragging  myself  along  through  the  deep  and 
fresh  fallen  snow,  each  leg  as  it  trailed  making  a  deep  gouge, 
and  both  forming  two  long,  parallel  gutters.  In  each  of  these 


112  TRAPPING  AND   WOOD-CRAFT. 

gutters  walked  a  dog,  soberly  enough,  much  obliged  to  me,  no 
doubt,  for  thus  making  him  a  path.  I  reached  my  post,  and 
spent  the  morning  without  observing  any  thing  unusual. 
Toward  noon  I  arose  and  was  about  to  start  for  home  to  din- 
ner, when  I  descried  two  men  making  their  way  toward  me 
across  the  marsh,  evidently  much  excited,  eagerly  gesticu- 
lating and  inciting  one  another  to  haste.  Seeing  me  they 
stopped,  and  asked  me  whether  I  had  "  seen  the  otters." 
Upon  my  replying  in  the  negative,  they  laughed  inconti- 
nently, declaring  that  I  was  blinder  than  a  bat ;  that  I  must 
have  been  asleep,  &c.  "  Why,"  said  one,  observing  my 
astonishment  at  their  conduct,  "  here  are  their  tracks,  cover- 
ing yours,  scarce  a  rod  from  where  you  sit.  See  !  here 
they  've  taken  to  water.  We  first  came  upon  their  trail  as 
we  were  crossing  the  swamp  there.  By  their  tracks,  I  make 
them  to  be  two  of  the  biggest  critters  I  ever  so  much  as  hearn 
tell  of.  We  hurried  on,  thinking  we  might  perhaps  catch 
them  ashore." 

After  some  further  conversation,  they  hurried  on  down 
stream,  leaving  me,  to  use  a  common  phrase,  "  rather  mixed." 
I  was  certain  that  no  otter  had  come  within  many  a  rod  of  me. 
I  had  watched  eagerly  for  a  single  wave  or  ripple  in  the  placid 
waters  of  the  stream  from  under  the  snow-covered  bushes, 
whose  pendent  boughs  almost  reached  the  water  and  formed 
a  curtain  to  the  opposite  bank.  There  was  no  sign,  nor  had 
there  been  —  not  a  trace.  I  was  quite  sure  I  could  not  have 
passed  an  otter  trail  without  noticing  it  —  the  unmistakable 
scoop  of  his  long,  stovepipe-like  body,  with  paw  marks  inter- 
spersed along  it.  I  retraced  my  steps  to  the  spot  where  I 
first  struck  the  creek,  after  crossing  the  swarrfp,  which  was 
the  spot  where  they  had  said  the  otters  had  taken  to  water 
again.  Truly,  there  was  their  trail,  a  couple  of  them,  big 
ones  at  that.  I  called  the  dogs,  and  showed  them  the  tracks. 
To  my  surprise  they  were  nowise  excited  about  it ;  "  sniffed  " 
and  turned  away.  Extraordinary  conduct !  —  which  raised  a 
latent  suspicion.  I  doubted  —  thought  —  then  light  flashed 
upon  me,  and  I  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh.  It  was  a  great 
joke.  Of  course  you  understand  it  all.  The  long  gouges 


NOTES   OF  A  HUNTER.  113 

which  my  knees  had  made  in  the  yielding  snow  they  had 
mistaken  for  the  drag  of  the  otters'  bodies ;  the  prints  of  the 
dogs'  feet  for  the  otters'  paws.  You  may  say  they  were  super- 
ficial observers.  Excitement  will  have  its  effects,  and  nothing 
but  correct  information  can  in  such  a  case  counteract  it. 
"  Knowledge  is  power." 

The  print  of  a  raccoon's  paw  greatly  resembles  that  of  the 
bare  foot  of  a  young  child.  It  is  easily  recognized.  The 
bear,  woodchuck,  and  skunk  are  also  plantigrade ;  but  the 
print  of  their  paws  has  little  resemblance  to  the  "  coon's." 

Otter  will  not  eat  bait,  as  a  general  thing ;  but  they  will 
smell  of  it,  which  is  frequently  just  as  good.  Some  stale 
meat,  or  better,  fish,  will  attract  them,  especially  if  it  is  placed 
in  a  queer,  unusual  position,  hung  from  a  bush  or  stake,  so  as 
to  attract  their  attention.  Inquisitive  as  they  are,  the  trapper 
should  take  care  that  the  object  or  bait  excites  their  curiosity 
without  alarming  them. 

I  have  been  informed  by  experienced  trappers  that  a  wolf- 
trap  should  be  well  rubbed  with  the  green  leaves  of  the  male 
fern  or  "  brake "  when  they  are  to  be  had.  They  give  a 
humid,  earthy  smell  to  the  trap,  and  the  juice,  when  it  evapo- 
rates, appears  to  carry  off  all  scent  of  human  contact.  I  sug- 
gest, however,  that  if  trappers  would  lay  out  a  little  more 
money  in  buckskin  gloves  they  would  be  well  remunerated. 
The  contact  of  the  bare  hand  with  the  trap  is  very  objection- 
able ;  you  might  as  well  hold  out  a  noose  and  call  a  wild  horse 
to  put  his  head  in  it.  The  gloves  should  only  be  used  when 
handling  the  trap.  Some  rub  the  traps  with  blood,  when 
trapping  carnivorous  animals ;  others  substitute  herbs,  as 
skunk -cabbage,  &c.,  for  all  animals.  For  the  bear,  the  In- 
dians say,  the  best  bait  is  skunk-cabbage.  They  are  said  to 
be  very  fond  of  it.  I  cannot  verify  this,  for  I  have  never 
had  an  opportunity  to  try  it.  It  would  take  as  sturdy  a  pine- 
bender  as  him  that  Theseus  slew,  to  make  a  spring-pole  that, 
would  raise  a  bear  beyond  wolf  reach  —  for  wolves  will  attack 
and  devour  even  a  bear,  wounded  and  hampered. 

The  raccoon  may  frequently  be  taken  during  a  hard  frost,, 
by  cutting  a  hole  in  the  ice  on  any  stream  which  may  be  neaF 


TRAPPING   AND  WOOD-CRAFT. 

his  habitation.  A  trap  set  in  this,  will  be  almost  sure  of 
him.  He  will  rise  at  midnight  to  paddle  in  the  water,  though 
the  temperature  stands  at  zero.  Hence  his  Latin  generic 
name  of  "  Lotor." 

I  think  that  a  live  chicken  is  the  best  bait  possible  for  the 
wild  cat,  and  also  for  all  feline  animals.  Fresh,  bloody  meat, 
however,  of  any  description,  is  very  enticing. 

Till  lately  I  have  strongly  adhered  to  the  opinion  that  a 
"  Black  Lynx  "  was  "  dyed  in  the  wool "  —  after  death.  Re- 
cent researches  have  almost  made  me  doubt.  I  have  received 
assurances  from  men  whom  I  think  reliable,  that  there  is,  or 
has  lately  been,  such  an  animal  in  existence.  How  it  could 
have  escaped  the  sharp  eyes  of  our  naturalists,  I  cannot  im- 
agine. It  is  represented  as  being  of  large  size,  almost  as 
large  as  the  black  bear ;  in  form  and  general  habits  resem- 
bling the  ordinary  Canada  lynx ;  but  is  said  to  be  as  fe- 
rocious as  the  Canada  lynx  is  timid.  The  hair  is  said  to  be 
thick,  long  and  shaggy,  and  as  black  as  Erebus.  It  is  also 
said  to  have  great  local  attachments,  never  leaving  the  im- 
penetrable wilderness  of  swamp  which  it  inhabits.  The  In- 
dians have  many  wild  and  curious  legends  or  traditions  which 
perhaps  refer  to  this  animal.  He  is  doubtless  —  if  he  exists 
—  the  "  Lunxus  "  or  devil  of  the  Indians  of  Maine.  The 
"  Black  Lynx  "  is  said  to  be  able  to  throw  a  full  grown  sheep 
across  his  shoulders  and  make  off  with  ease.  "  All  the  beasts 
of  the  wilderness  dread  him,  and  man  himself  cares  not  to  in- 
vade the  retired  fastnesses  of  the  gloomy  forests  where  he 
rules  absolute  monarch." 

Our  backwoodsmen  are  almost  as  remarkable  for  their 
"  yarns  "  as  Jack  Tar,  and  they  are  generally  about  as  reliable. 
Did  you  ever  see  the  pelt  of  a  "  Black  Lynx,"  or  of  any 
other  similar  dark-colored  animal  ?  It  must  be  a  myth.* 

The  offensive  smell  of  skunk,  may  be  removed  from  clothes 

*  Your  "  Black  Lynx  "  is  probably  the  wolverene,  modified  and  exaggerated  by 
the  imaginations  of  the  trappers  or  hunters  who  caught  a  glimpse  of  it.  The  wol- 
verene is  the  Indian  Devil,  and  is  so  called  by  the  Indians  of  British  America.  It  is 
a  very  troublesome,  sagacious,  and  destructive  animal  to  the  trappers,  in  the  wilds 
where  it  dwells,  but  most  of  the  extraordinary  stories  told  of  it  are  probably 
"  yarns  "  like  those  formerly  related  by  trappers  of  the  beaver.  —  EDITORS. 


NOTES   OF   A  HUNTER.  115 

by  wrapping  them  in  fresh  hemlock  boughs  ;  in  twenty-four 
hours  they  will  be  cleansed.  They  should  be  left  out  at 
night.  I  have  known  many  who  preferred  the  smell  of  the 
skunk  to  that  of  the  musquash.  As  to  eating  a  skunk,  if 
other  game  is  not  to  be  had,  I  should  not  be  fastidious.  A 
skunk  properly  dressed  and  cooked  is  good  eating. 

Some  think  the  flesh  of  the  woodchuck  or  "  ground- 
hog "  excellent,  especially  in  the  fall.  He  should  be  care- 
fully skinned  and  cleaned  immediately  after  death.  Some 
dark  strips  of  granular,  brown  fat,  which  lie  along  the  inside 
of  the  animal's  legs,  should  be  carefully  cut  away,  or  the 
flesh  will  be  spoilt.  I  have  at  times  found  the  woodchuck 
up  a  tree,  almost  always  in  iron-wood  trees.  It  is  hard  to 
dislodge  them ;  they  hold  on  like  grim  death,  and  cannot  be 
shaken  loose.  What  induces  them  to  climb  I  cannot  tell ; 
they  never  appear  to  have  any  thing  to  do  there.  They  get 
up  amongst  the  small  branches,  and  much  resemble  a  knot  or 
"  bunch "  of  the  wood.  Their  color  also  corresponds  well 
with  the  bark  of  the  iron-wood,  and  renders  it  difficult  to 
detect  them.  I  have  been  informed  that  they  will  climb  hol- 
low trees  at  times  to  escape  pursuit,  and  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  dislodge  them  by  manual  force.  The  rabbit,  also 
—  an  animal  which  from  its  peculiar  conformation  would  not 
be  suspected  of  climbing  —  has  frequently  been  found  in  the 
hollows  of  trees.  It  is  supposed  to  climb  like  the  old 
chimney-sweeps,  being  found  with  its  back  braced  against 
the  side  of  the  hollow.  By  rabbit,  I  mean  the  small  brown 
hare  peculiar  to  this  country.  Their  habits  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  great  white  or  northern  hare.  They  will 
sometimes  inhabit  a  deserted  woodchuck  hole. 

For  deer  and  moose  —  though  I  do  not  believe  in  trapping 
these  animals  except  for  food  —  I  consider  the  brush  fence, 
noose  and  spring-pole  the  best  method  of  catching  them.  A 
rope  is  the  most  simple  and  portable  trap,  and  it  is  always 
useful.  The  Indians  have  a  method  of  calling  the  moose 
with  a  horn  of  birch  bark,  producing  a  sound  resembling  the 
lowing  of  the  cow,  alluring  the  bull  to  destruction. 

As  to  "  life  in  the  woods "  the    old  Cromwellian  motto, 


116  TRAPPING  AND  WOOD-CRAFT. 

"  Trust  in  God,  and  keep  your  powder  dry,"  is  most  ex- 
cellent. I  advise  those  who  are  wise  enough  to  wish  to  fol- 
low it,  to  use  the  flat  tin  powder  cans,  with  metallic  caps 
screwing  down  water-tight.  The  Hazzard  and  Dupont  pow- 
der comes  in  such  cans  —  pounds  and  half  pounds.  I  have 
found  that  three  dr.  of  Dupont's  No.  2  (coarse  ducking  powder) 
is  equal  to  four  drs.  of  Hazzard's  ordinary  grain  in  strength. 
I  use  a  twelve  gauge  duck  gun.  I  think  No.  4  shot  is  a  good 
size  for  such  game  as  ducks.  With  Ely's  S.S.G.,  green  car- 
tridge, or  large  buck-shot  and  a  twelve  gauge  gun,  you  can 
generally  get  all  the  deer  you  want.  I  consider  No.  6  the 
best  size  shot  for  full-grown  grouse.  No.  8  does  very  well 
for  smaller  birds,  woodcocks,  &c.,  and  red  squirrels.  I  con- 
sider four  (4)  dr.  of  Hazzard's  powder,  and  from  one  and  one 
quarter  (l£)  to  one  and  one  half  (1|)  ounces  of  shot  the 
proper  load  for  a  twelve  gauge  gun.  At  least  it  is  for  mine.* 
An  iron  ramrod  should  not  be  used ;  it  wears  the  muzzle  of 
the  piece,  and  makes  it  scatter.  Brass  might  do,  if  a  metallic 
rod  is  considered  a  desideratum.  Being  softer  than  iron  the 
wear  would  chiefly  fall  upon  the  rod.  Hunters  cannot  be  too 
careful  to  keep  their  salt  away  from  their  powder  ;  it  absorbs 
moisture  and  imparts  it  to  the  saltpetre  of  the  powder.  Here 
I  will  qualify  my  praise  of  water-proof  tin  cans  for  powder. 
They  are  the  best  things  that  can  ordinarily  be  had  for  that 
purpose.  But  I  would  not  advise  any  one  to  hide  or  cache 
powder  in  such  a  can.  A  week,  aye,  a  few  days,  might  suf- 
fice to  turn  your  powder  into  a  black,  unctuous  mud.  The 
metal  appears  to  attract  moisture,  and  though  the  can  may  be 
impervious  to  any  sudden  shower  or  drenching,  by  some 
means,  if  long  exposed,  the  moisture  will  get  in.  I  think  that 
a  horn,  plugged  with  pine  wood,  which  has  been  boiled  in  a 
mixture  of  rosin,  wax,  and  tallow,  and  the  joints  varnished, 
will  be  quite  water-proof.  I  have  known  a  horn  of  powder 
lost  in  the  woods,  and  exposed  for  weeks  (wet  weather  hav- 
ing intervened),  to  be  dry  and  uninjured.  A  copper  flask  is 
worse  than  a  tin  can,  in  this  respect.  I  prefer  a  horn  flask, 

*  For  large  animals  the  charge  of  powder  may  be  increased  from  one  half,  to  one 
dram. 


NOTES   OF   A  HUNTER.  117 

with  a  patent  water-proof  safety  top  and  German  silver 
mountings  ;  but  they  are  scarce  and  costly.  The  lightest  and 
best  camp-kettle  is  of  "  pressed  tin."  One  of  from  three  to 
four  quarts  is  worth  about  one  dollar,  and  is  sufficient  for 
two  or  three  persons.  It  is  very  light  and  convenient,  and 
should  have  a  lid  or  cover  with  a  wire  handle  which  will  fold 
down  sideways,  so  that  when  inverted  it  could  be  used  as  a 
dish.  The  rim  of  this  lid,  or  dish,  should  be  quite  broad,  so 
as  to  make  it  capacious.  It  might  be  used  to  hold  a  portion 
of  the  contents  of  the  kettle,  mush  or  potatoes,  &c.  There 
should  be  a  light  wire  chain  attached  to  the  handle  of  the 
pail  by  which  to  suspend  it.  For  a  hunting-knife,  I  use  a 
bowie,  and  have  found  it  an  excellent  tool.  The  sheath 
which  comes  with  a  knife  is  not  good  for  much.  I  generally 
replace  it  with  a  strong  wooden  one,  covered  with  leather. 
I  take  a  flat  piece  of  strong  wood  of  the  requisite  shape}  and 
saw  into  it  lengthwise  —  the  blade  of  the  knife  to  be  laid, 
edge  first  or  down,  into  the  space  cut  by  the  saw,  and  the  back 
being  towards  the  opening.  This  wooden  case  prevents  the 
knife  from  cutting  you,  in  case  you  should  fall  upon  §  it,  of 
which  there  is  great  danger  where  the  ordinary  pasteboard, 
leather-covered  sheath  is  used.  The  sheath  and  knife  should 
be  attached  to  the  belt  by  a  frog,  which  should  not  be  a  per- 
manent portion  of  the  sheath.  The  army  '*  camp  knife  "  is 
a  very  nice  thing  for  hunters ;  you  have  your  spoon,  fork,  and 
knife  in  very  compact  shape  —  cost,  one  dollar  and  a  half. 
A  saw  and  an  auger,  with  some  large  spikes,  wrought  nails, 
butts  or  hinges,  staples,  and  a  padlock  or  bolt  are  needed 
around  the  "  home  shanty."  They  tend  to  "  make  things 
comfortable  "  and  safe.  Your  matches  should  be  of  the  best ; 
lucifers,  or  "  Vienne  water-proof."  Their  tips  only  are  water- 
proof. I  render  them  absolutely  water-proof  by  dipping  them 
in  a  solution  of  shell-lac  in  alcohol.  This  makes  the  "  sticks  " 
of  the  matches  quite  impervious  to  moisture.  The  solution  of 
shell-lac,  should  not  be  too  thick,  or  they  will  not  burn  well. 
When  properly  prepared  in  this  manner,  they  may  be  im- 
mersed in  water  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  will  then  (if  taken 
out  and  wiped  dry)  instantly  ignite  and  burn  well.  As  a  final 


118  TRAPPING   AND  WOOD-CRAFT. 

precaution,  when  they  are  so  dry  that  there  is  no  danger  of 
their  adhering  to  one  another,  I  put  them  in  a  warm,  dry  bot- 
tle, with  waxed  or  water-proof  stopper  or  cork.  This  is  the 
true  way  to  carry  any  sort  of  matches. 

I  always  prefer  to  put  up  matches,  caps,  &c.,  in  several  dif- 
ferent packages  or  places,  so  that  in  case  of  accident  all  is  not 
lost.  This  system  should  not,  however,  be  carried  to  an  ex- 
treme, as  it  is  then  both  confusing  and  troublesome.  Every 
thing  should  be  plainly  labeled.  Boxes,  &c.,  containing  a  mis- 
cellaneous assortment  of  stuff,  should  have  a  list  on  the  out- 
side, or  on  the  inside  of  the  cover. 

As  to  provisions,  I  should  leave  out  beans,  which  to  be 
good  require  time  for  preparation,  and  instead,  should  carry 
a  package  of  "  self-raising  flour  "  —  wheat  —  an  excellent 
article.  With  it  you  can  make  biscuit  or  bread  on  short 
notice.  It  is  to  be  had  of  grocers  generally,  I  believe,  put 
up  in  six  pound  packages.  Pork  or  lard,  butter  and  sugar, 
are  all  the  luxuries  needed,  except  perhaps  coffee  and  tea. 
You  can  fatten  on  them.  Beef,  butter,  sugar,  Indian  meal, 
&c.,  are  said  to  contain  a  great  proportion  of  strength-giving 
food. 

I  quite  agree  with  you  on  the  subject  of  clothes,  but  will 
make  a  few  suggestions.  I  prefer  to  have  my  boots  first 
sewed  in  the  ordinary  manner,  and  then  to  have  a  light  u  Na- 
poleon tap,"  pegged  on  with  steel  or  copper  nails.  I  soak  a 
hot  mixture  of  mutton-tallow,  bees-wax,  and  rosin  into  the 
soles  of  boots,  till  they  will  absorb  no  more  ;  such  boots  wear 
out  slowly  and  the  soles  never  get  soaked  or  water-logged. 
The  preparation  I  recommend  is  far  superior  to  coal  or  com- 
mon tar  for  this  purpose ;  the  boots  do  not  "  squeak  "  as 
those  tarred  will.  There  should  be  more  tallow  than  wax, 
and  more  wax  than  rosin. 

The  trapper  should  always  be  provided  with  scissors, 
needles,  pins,  thread,  &c. 

Pork,  bread,  meal,  &c.,  should  be  put  up  in  neat  boxes  or 
bags,  as  nearly  water  and  air-tight  as  possible,  each  neatly 
and  legibly  labeled,  so  as  to  pack  easily  and  be  known  at 
sight,  without  rummaging.  Bags  should  be  painted  or  other- 


NOTES   OF   A   HUNTER.  119 

wise  water-proofed.  If  lead  paints  are  used,  the  article  in- 
closed should  be  put  in  a  paper  bag  first ;  white  lead  is,  as 
all  should  know,  very  poisonous.  Boiled  linseed  oil  is  apt  to 
rot  the  material  of  linen  or  cotton  bags. 

As  to  cooking,  I  would  advise  all  those  who  are  at  all  fas- 
tidious as  to  their  food  to  carry  some  vinegar  and  curry-pow- 
der, &c.  I  can  assure  you  curry-powder  improves  a  schyte- 
poke  wonderfully.  Without  further  reference  to  this  subject, 
I  must  say  that  onions  come  very  good  at  times.  Potatoes 
also  are  good,  either  baked  or  boiled ;  they  are  also  healthy, 
portable,  and  convenient. 

I  can  tell  you  of  one  of  the  nicest  things  known,  namely, 
pork  fritters ;  melt  some  lard  in  a  saucepan  or  spider, 
make  a  stiff  batter,  but  not  too  stiff  either,  of  wheat  or  rye 
(boiled  Indian  meal  might  do)  ;  cut  slices  of  pork,  dip  in  the 
batter,  and  when  the  melted  fat  in  the  pan  is  quite  hot,  drop 
in  your  fritters.  Cook  till  light  brown.  They  are  delicious. 
Try  them  any  day ;  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  have  an  appe- 
tite.* If  some  other  drink  besides  water,  tea,  or  coffee  is  con- 
sidered absolutely  necessary,  carry  lemons  or  oranges.  With 
these,  and  plenty  of  sugar,  joined  with  the  cold  clear  water  of 
some  mountain  spring,  he  who  is  not  satisfied  deserves  never 
to  be.  Sugar  and  lemon-juice  will  make  even  warm  swamp- 
water  palatable  to  a  thirsty  man. 

You  give  directions  for  the  preservation  of  an  overplus  of 
venison,  &c.  This  reminds  me  to  ask  how  would  you  preserve 
a  moose  from  wolves  and  other  depredators  in  case  you  should 
be  obliged  to  leave  the  carcass,  to  find  help  to  remove  it  ?  I 
have  heard  it  said,  that  the  half-blown  bladder  of  the  animal 
suspended  from  the  branch  of  a  tree  or  bush  over  the  carcass 
would  answer  ;  others  say  that  a  rope  or  even  a  cord  loosely 
hung  on  the  surrounding  twigs  would  be  sufficient,  the  wolf 
supposing  it  a  trap.f 

*  We  think  a  substitute  for  pork  should  be  invented  or  adopted.  It  is  about  aa 
bad  for  corrupting  the  blood  as  the  alcoholic  stimulants  which  the  above  writer  con- 
demns. Butter  is  good,  but  for  all  frying  operations  is  less  economical,  and  less  sat- 
isfactory than  olice  oil.  Pure,  sweet  olive  oil,  put  up  in  air-tight  or  closely  corked 
cans  or  flasks,  would  be  portable  and  an  excellent  portion  of  the  trapper's  outfit. 
—  EDITORS. 

t  Wolves  will  not  meddle  with  a  dead  deer  if  it  is  laid  by  a  log  and  a  few 


120  TRAPPING  AND  WOOD-CRAFT. 

As  for  preparations  against  insects  —  they  are  of  a  very 
doubtful  benefit.  Those  who  wish  to  be  comfortable,  had 
better  leave  rum  alone.  "Prevention  is  better  than  cure." 
I  am  satisfied  that  musquitoes  and  gnats  rarely  trouble  any 
one  whose  blood  is  not  in  a  feverish  and  unhealthy  state. 
Such  a  condition  of  the  blood  may  result  from  sickness,  but 
always  follows  the  use  of  intoxicating  alcoholic  stimulants.  I 
have  fished  from  a  canoe  at  night-fall,  when  these  insects 
arose  like  clouds,  apparently  from  the  water,  without  material 
discomfort,  while  my  companion  suffered  agonies.  I  told  him 
(as  a  joke)  it  was  because  I  was  a  radical  and  he  a  "  cop- 
perhead." Your  delicate,  metropolitan  dandy,  who  adores 
champagne  suppers,  and  warms  himself  with  brandy,  had 
better  keep  clear  of  the  North  Woods.  A  person  of  frugal 
habit  and  diet  can  bear  bites  and  wounds,  which  would  be- 
come festering  sores  and  gangrened  ulcers  upon  the  body  of 
the  intemperate.  If  a  preparation  is  desired,  I  should  substi- 
tute hard  mutton-tallow  for  hog's  lard  in  the  pennyroyal 
ointment.  Mutton-tallow  is  worthy  of  a  word  of  praise  ;  to 
suppress  an  itching,  to  cure  a  bite  or  a  galled  spot,  where  the 
cuticle  has  been  rubbed  off,  it  is  really  invaluable. 

In  case  furs  have  to  be  cached  they  may  be  cased  in  a  tin 
or  sheet  iron  can,  proof  against  small  animals,  and  then  put 
far  beyond  the  reach  of  bears  or  wolverenes.  This  is  a  good 
way  to  dispose  of  them  at  any  time. 

You  should  patent  some  light  machine  for  setting  the 
springs  of  large  traps,  by  lever  or  jack-screw.* 

branches  are  cut  from  a  tree  and  thrown  over  it.  They  fear  a  trap.  The  deer  or  moose 
may  also  be  cut  up,  and  the  parts  swung  up  on  small  trees.  Bend  down  a  sapling  as 
stout  as  you  can  handle,  cut  off  a  limb,  hang  the  meat  to  the  hook,  and  let  the  tree 
swing  back.  It  will  be  out  of  reach  of  the  wolves,  and  the  tree  will  be  too  small 
for  bears  to  climb.  Moose-wood  bark  makes  a  good  substitute  for  a  rope.  — 
EDITORS. 

*  Such  contrivances  are  cumbersome  to  the  trapper.  For  setting  large,  double- 
spring  traps,  he  should  use  double  levers  made  of  wood.  All  that  is  necessary  to  be 
carried  into  the  woods  to  do  this  is  four  strong  leathern  straps  furnished  with  buckles. 
When  you  wish  to  set  a  trap,  cut  four  levers  of  a  size  and  length  proportioned  to  the 
size  of  the  trap.  Take  two  of  them,  make  a  loop  of  one  of  the  straps  and  slip  it 
over  one  end  of  each;  then  bring  the  trap  spring  between  them,  press  them  together 
and  adjust  a  loop  over  the  other  ends  of  the  levers.  Serve  the  other  spring  in  the 
game  way.  Now  spread  the  jaws,  adjust  the  dog  and  pan,  loosen  the  levers  and 


NOTES   OF  A  HUNTER.  121 

A  good  sledge  for  hauling  stuff  over  the  crust  or  snow  in 
winter  should  be  six  feet  long,  eighteen  inches  broad,  and  six 
or  eight  inches  high  ;  as  light  as  possible,  held  by  iron  braces 
running  over  the  top  and  down  the  sides  ;  very  lightly  shod.* 

I  am  sorry  I  have  made  this  article  so  long,  but  the  fact  is, 
once  started-,  I  have  found  it  hard  to  stop.  I  take  much  in- 
terest in  trapping,  and  seldom  am  happier  than  when  I  trav- 
erse the  wilderness  in  pursuit  of  fur.  Your  book  has  been 
a  great  treat  to  me.  It  fills  an  odd  little  corner  in  literature, 
which  but  for  you,  might  ever  have  remained  vacant. 

F.  R. 

your  trap  is  set.    The  straps  weigh  only  a  few  ounces  and  are  easily  carried.  —  ED- 
ITORS. 

*  The  Indian  sledge  is  better.  It  is  made  of  a  smooth  board  six  or  eight  feet  long, 
and  fifteen  or  twenty  inches  wide,  bent  up  in  a  curve  at  the  forward  end.  It  is  light, 
does  not  sink  in  the  snow  or  cut  the  crust,  and  draws  easily.  —  EDITORS. 


PLAN  OF  A  TRAPPING  CAMPAIGN. 

BY    PETER  M.   GUNTER. 


I  BEGIN  a  trapping  campaign,  by  selecting  my  hunting 
ground,  building  my  shanties,  making  my  canoes,  carrying 
my  traps  to  proper  localities,  and  carrying  in  provisions. 

In  selecting  a  trapping  ground  it  is  a  great  advantage  to 
get  where  you  can  travel  by  water  as  much  as  possible.  You 
are  likely  in  that  case  to  capture  more  mink  and  otter.  I 
manage  in  this  way  :  I  take  a  trip  in  a  circle,  following  lakes, 
rivers  and  small  streams,  and  striking  across  from  one  to  the 
other,  till  I  come  round  to  the  starting  point.  At  this  point  I 
build  a  wigwam.  This  I  do  in  the  following  manner :  I 
cut  four  crotches,  each  about  six  feet  long,  and  sharpen  their 
lower  ends.  I  stick  two  of  them  into  the  ground  eight  feet 
apart.  Then  I  place  a  pole  four  inches  in  diameter  on  the 
top.  This  forms  a  plate  for  one  side  of  the  building.  Four 
feet  distant,  and  parallel  to  these,  I  place  the  other  two 
crotches  with  a  similar  plate.  Then  I  place  other  poles  across 
the  ends  from  one  plate  to  the  other.  This  done,  the  frame 
of  the  wigwam  is  finished,  ready  to  inclose.  Now  to  do  this 
with  only  an  axe  would  bother  many.  I  do  it  in  this  way : 
Fell  a  cedar  or  any  other  tree  that  splits  free,  and  cut  off 
logs  about  twelve  feet  long.  Split  these  up  into  boards  for 
the  roof.  Lay  one  end  of  the  boards  on  the  ground,  the  other 
on  the  plate.  Cover  both  sides  in  this  way.  Thus  your  roof 
is  finished,  leaving  a  space  about  two  feet  wide  along  the  peak 
for  a  chimney.  Then  split  some  more  boards  for  the  gable 
ends.  These  are  short  and  may  be  placed  in  an  upright  posi- 
tion. The  door  may  be  a  split  board.  It  should  be  opposite 
the  fire,  and  open  to  the  north  to  prevent  smoke.  Fill  the 


PLAN  OF  A  CAMPAIGN.  123 

crevices  with  moss  to  keep  the  wind  out,  and  the  structure 
is  finished.  Build  your  fire  in  the  centre  ;  that  makes  a  par- 
tition ;  you  have  one  room  for  a  sleeping  apartment,  the  other 
for  a  dining-room.  This  is  my  home  shanty.  It  is  quite 
necessary  to  have  other  shanties  on  the  trapping  line,  to  stop 
in  over  night,  as  I  always  calculate  to  be  three  days  going 
round  a  circle,  in  setting  and  tending  traps. 

What  I  call  an  outfit  for  a  trapping  campaign,  or  at  least 
what  I  take,  is,  one  large  axe  to  the  home  shanty,  where  I  do 
my  cooking,  a  tin  six  quart  pail,  for  carrying  water  and  other 
purposes,  a  pint  cup,  a  sheet-iron  bake-pan  with  lid,  for  baking 
bread  and  cooking  game  in,  and  a  blanket,  leaving  it  at  the 
home  shanty.  I  always  carry  a  gun,  (and  prefer  a  double  bar- 
reled shot  and  rifle  gun,)  a  small  axe  weighing  ten  or  twelve 
ounces,  a  pocket  knife,  a  butcher  knife  in  my  belt,  and  from 
eighty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  traps  for  one  line.  If  there 
are  many  beaver  you  want  one  or  two  traps  to  each  family. 
Sometimes  I  use  the  No.  1  Newhouse  trap  with  good  success 
for  otter  and  beaver ;  and  I  have  caught  four  wolves  in  that 
sized  trap  on  land.  But  I  prefer  for  my  own  use,  for  taking 
beaver  and  otter,  the  No.  2  or  fox  trap.  In  the  way  of  pro- 
visions, I  carry  butter  and  flour,  and  some  tea,  salt,  and 
pepper.  For  meat  I  depend  on  my  gun  and  traps. 

In  setting  traps  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  signs  of 
game.  These  are  well  known  to  old  trappers,  and  are  learned 
by  careful  observation. 

Beaver  can  easily  be  found  in  the  fall  by  their  cutting  tim- 
ber for  their  winter  supply  of  food,  and  for  repairing  or  building 
dams.  During  the  summer  they  play  about,  laying  up  nothing, 
and  feeding  on  aquatic  plants  till  about  the  first  of  October. 
At  this  time,  dam  beaver  begin  to  build  their  dams,  and  draw 
in  timber  for  winter  supplies.  Bank  beaver  never  build  dams 
but  live  in  the  banks  of  streams,  in  holes  lined  with  grass  and 
leaves.  Their  holes  start  from  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  or 
at  least  three  or  four  feet  under  water,  rising  up  into  the  bank, 
above  the  level  of  the  water,  so  that  they  are  dry  to  sleep  in. 
Bank  beaver  feed  like  other  beaver,  drawing  sticks  into  their 
dwellings,  eating  the  bark  off,  and  then  carrying  the  refuse 


124  PRACTICAL  TRAPPING. 

out  into  the  water  again.  In  building  their  dams  beaver  al- 
ways choose  a  location  at  the  head  of  rapids,  where  they  can 
have  open  water  in  winter.  Bank  beaver  generally  build  their 
habitations  along  the  sides  of  rapids. 

Beavers  in  travelling  on  land  generally  have  one  particular 
path  which  they  follow  ;  therefore,  if  you  set  a  trap  at  each 
end  of  the  path  you  are  quite  sure  to  capture  them.  The 
trap  should  be  set  a  little  on  one  side  of  the  middle  of  the  path, 
and  three  or  four  inches  under  water.  In  a  single  trap,  set 
in  this  way,  I  have  caught  two  otters,  four  beavers,  and  seven 
muskrats,  during  one  trapping  season. 

The  otters'  haunts  are  detected  by  their  slides,  and  the 
freshness  of  their  works  on  the  slides. 

Mink,  marten  and  fisher,  have  no  particular  signs  except 
their  foot-prints  and  droppings,  generally  where  they  cross 
from  one  stream  to  another.  Minks  have  certain  run-ways 
the  same  as  deer.  On  these  run-ways  they  always  stop  in 
some  old  root  or  hollow  log.  When  you  find  one  of  these 
places,  you  can  tell  whether  it  is  a  mink-haunt  by  their  drop- 
pings. Set  your  trap  in  or  near  these  holes  and  you  are  sure 
to  catch  any  mink  that  passes.  I  have  caught  four  minks  in 
one  season,  in  one  hollow  log,  without  using  any  bait.  If 
there  are  deer  run-ways  on  your  hunting  grounds,  marten  and 
fisher  will  follow  those  paths,  in  order  to  pick  up  provisions. 
In  these  places  the  wolf  is  the  marten's  and  fisher's  provider. 
Nearly  all  the  deer  that  are  killed  by  wolves,  are  killed  on  the 
run-ways,  and  the  marten  and  fisher  follow  the  wolf  to  pick  up 
the  fragments  he  leaves.  Hence,  whenever  I  cross  a  deer's 
run-way  I  set  a  trap  or  two,  and  generally  with  success. 

During  the  last  five  years  I  have  been  trapping  in  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  Robert  Holland,  an  accomplished  deer-hunter 
and  trapper,  and  by  way  of  conclusion  to  this  article  I  will 
give  the  results  of  our  labors  for  three  years.  Our  method  is 
to  carry  on  farming  during  the  summer  months,  and  trap  in 
the  fall,  winter,  and  early  spring.  In  1863  we  caught  ninety- 
eight  minks,  fifty-two  martens,  fourteen  fishers,  ten  otters,  fifty- 
three  beavers,  five  wolves,  thirteen  raccoons,  seven  foxes,  and 
two  hundred  and  eighty  muskrats.  In  1864  we  caught  eighty- 


PLAN  OF  A  CAMPAIGN.  125 

nine  minks,  forty-seven  martens,  nine  fishers,  nine  otters,  ten 
foxes,  six  raccoons,  two  hundred  and  forty  muskrats,  five 
wolves,  and  sixty-two  beavers.  In  1865  we  kept  no  account 
of  the  number  of  skins,  but  our  sales  amounted  to  $505. 
During  these  three  years  we  caught  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  deer. 


BOAT  BUILDING. 

BY  T.  L.  PITT. 


A  BOAT  is  often  an  indispensable  part  of  the  trapper's  out- 
fit. I  will  give  a  few  general  rules  for  the  construction  of 
the  several  kinds  in  use. 

THE    BARK    CANOE. 

This  is  the  favorite  boat  in  those  regions  where  the 
canoe-birch  grows  to  perfection.  It  is  of  Indian  origin,  and 
usually  of  Indian  construction.  Few  white  men  are  sufficiently 
versed  in  the  art  of  making  it  to  rival  an  experienced  Indian 
in  the  nicety  of  work. 

The  great  advantage  of  the  bark  canoe,  or  the  "  bark,"  as 
it  is  usually  called,  is  its  lightness.  On  this  account  it  is  pre- 
ferred on  all  streams  where  portaging  is  necessary.  A  large 
sized  one,  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  long,  may  be  carried  without 
difficulty  on  the  shoulders  of  two  men ;  while  a  small  one, 
ten  or  twelve  feet  in  length,  can  be  carried  by  one  man. 
They  are  built  of  all  sizes,  from  ten  to  thirty-five  feet  in 
length.  The  largest  ones  will  carry  a  dozen  persons  or  more, 
besides  considerable  freight. 

In  building  a  "  bark,"  a  cedar  gunwale  is  first  prepared. 
This  should  be  composed  of  two  strips  for  each  side  of  the 
canoe,  about  one  fourth  of  an  inch  thick,  and  an  inch  or  more 
in  width,  one  to  go  inside  the  edge  and  the  other  outside. 
The  bark  is  then  procured.  That  part  which  forms  the  bot- 
tom of  the  canoe  should  be  in  one  whole  piece,  carefully 
peeled  from  a  tree  of  suitable  size  and  free  from  knots.  If 
not  large  enough  for  the  whole  boat,  strips  may  be  sewed  on 
to  it.  After  the  bark  is  ready,  the  length  of  the  proposed 


THE  LOG   CANOE  OR  DUG-OUT.  127 

canoe  is  measured  off  on  the  ground,  and  at  each  end  of  the 
space  two  stakes  are  driven  firmly  into  the  earth,  close  to- 
gether. The  ends  of  the  bark  are  then  folded  on  the  mid- 
dle line,  with  the  inside  of  the  bark  outward,  and  inserted 
between  the  stakes.  These  ends  should  extend  beyond  the 
stakes  far  enough  to  allow  a  strip  of  bark  to  be  folded  over 
them,  and  the  whole  firmly  sewed  together.  This  makes  a 
rude  form  of  the  canoe.  Underneath  each  end,  near  the 
stakes,  a  small  log  is  placed,  for  the  canoe  to  rest  upon,  and 
to  let  the  bottom  form  an  appropriate  curve  downwards. 
The  gunwale  is  then  placed  in  position,  the  bark  fitted  be- 
tween the  strips,  and  the  whole  sewed  together  with  a  wind- 
ing stitch,  regularly,  or  in  sections,  the  entire  length.  Next 
the  inside  of  the  canoe  is  lined  with  strips  of  cedar,  from  one 
fourth  to  one  half  of  an  inch  thick,  and  an  inch  or  more 
wide,  placed  longitudinally  and  fastened  in  place  with  pine 
pitch.  These  strips  may  be  several  feet  long,  and  should 
neatly  lap  where  their  ends  meet.  Knees  or  ribs  are  then 
made.  These  are  strips  of  ash,  or  any  wood  that  is  firm  and 
elastic,  and  should  be  about  one  fourth  of  an  inch  thick,  and 
from  one  to  two  inches  wide.  They  are  placed  crosswise  of 
the  canoe,  bent  down  to  the  bottom  and  sides,  and  their  ends 
securely  fastened  under  the  gunwales.  They  should  be  placed 
close  together  or  with  alternate  spaces  between  them,  the 
whole  length  of  the  canoe.  They  strengthen  the  canoe,  keep 
it  in  shape,  and  keep  the  lining  in  its  place.  When  all  this  is 
done,  the  whole  inside  of  the  canoe  and  all  the  seams  are 
smeared  with  pitch,  and  two  or  three  cross-pieces  are  placed 
between  the  gunwales  to  keep  the  sides  in  shape.  The 
sewing  is  all  done  with  a  square  or  three-cornered  awl,  using 
fibrous  cedar,  spruce,  or  tamarack  roots,  soaked  in  hot  water, 
for  thread. 

THE    LOG    CANOE    OR   DUG-OUT. 

This  is  a  kind  of  boat  often  built  by  the  trapper.  Its  con- 
struction is  simple  ;  it  may  be  made  quite  light ;  it  is  strong, 
serviceable,  and  durable.  A  log  canoe  may  be  made  of  pine, 
whitewood,  butternut,  black-ash,  basswood,  or  cotton-wood. 
The  best  are  made  of  pine.  A  log  suitable  for  this  purpose 


128  BOAT  BUILDING. 

should  be  large,  sound,  and  free  from  knots.  It  should  first 
be  hewn  on  two  opposite  sides  to  a  size  corresponding  to  the 
depth  of  the  intended  canoe.  On  one  side  the  hewing  should 
not  be  on  a  straight  line,  but  should  run  out  at  the  ends  to 
the  surface  of  the  log,  in  order  to  leave  a  suitable  rise  at  bow 
and  stern.  This  hewing  is  usually  performed  before  the  log 
is  cut  off  from  the  tree.  When  this  is  accomplished  the  log 
is  turned  down,  with  that  side  uppermost  which  is  to  form  the 
gunwale.  Next,  the  outlines  of  the  sides  are  struck  with  a 
line  and  chalk,  the  latter  being  usually  a  burnt  stick.  The 
general  rule  for  laying  out  a  canoe,  is  to  measure  the  log  into 
three  equal  sections.  The  two  end  sections  are  for  the  bow 
and  stern  respectively.  For  a  large  canoe  the  bow  should  be 
hewn  somewhat  sharper  than  the  stern.  At  the  same  time 
the  width  of  the  boat  at  the  point  where  the  curves  of  the 
bow  start,  below  the  gunwale,  should  be  a  little  greater  than 
at  any  other  point.  This  difference  can  be  easily  attained  in 
finishing  off  the  sides,  after  the  general  shape  is  struck  out. 
If  the  canoe  is  very  large  it  may  be  desirable  to  attend  to  this 
point  in  the  first  hewing.  The  object  in  giving  the  canoe  a 
greater  width  at  this  part  is,  to  give  ease  of  motion  in  the 
water.  The  same  principle  that  governs  in  the  construction 
of  larger  vessels,  and  is  seen  in  the  shape  of  the  duck  or  goose, 
applies  to  the  shaping  of  a  large  canoe.  A  small  canoe,  for 
running  deer,  and  designed  to  never  carry  more  than  two 
persons,  may  be  curved  with  the  same  sharpness  at  both  ends, 
and  have  no  variation  in  its  width.  It  may  then  be  run  either 
end  foremost.  A  canoe  made  in  this  way,  if  narrow  and  very 
sharp,  in  skillful  hands,  may  be  one  of  the  swiftest  and  most 
effective  boats.  Both  ends  of  a  well-made  canoe  are  curved 
upward  from  the  middle  of  the  gunwale,  and  the  stern  rises  a 
little  from  the  line  of  the  bottom.  When  the  tree  is  sound 
(and  none  other  should  be  used),  a  canoe  may  be  worked 
very  thin,  and  thus  be  so  light  as  to  be  easily  carried.  With 
all  these  points  in  mind  the  canoe  is  hewn  to  nearly  its  final 
outside  shape ;  the  inside  is  dug  out  with  axes  and  an  adze  ; 
finally  it  is  neatly  and  smoothly  finished  —  on  the  outside 
with  axe  and  draw-shave,  and  on  the  inside  with  a  round 


BATEAUX.  129 

edged  adze  or  howel.  The  tools  required  m  making  a  log 
canoe  are,  a  good  common  axe,  a  broad  axe,  a  common  adze, 
a  howel  or  round  adze,  and  a  large  draw-shave.  A  small 
auger  is  also  desirable  for  gauging  the  thickness  of  the  bottom 
by  boring,  and,  if  obtainable,  a  cross-cut  saw  saves  labor. 

SPRUCE   BARK    CANOES. 

Rough,  temporary  canoes  may  be  made  of  spruce  or  bass- 
wood  bark,  by  simply  folding  the  ends  and  sewing  or  nailing 
them  together,  adding  gunwales  and  lining,  putting  in  a  few 
knees  and  cross-pieces,  and  smearing  all  the  joints  with  pitch. 

BATEAUX 

Are  made  of  thin  boards,  nailed  together  in  the  form  of  a 
flat-bottomed  boat.  Select  two  boards  that  are  sound  and  free 
from  knots,  and  of  a  length  and  width  equal  respectively  to  the 
length  and  depth  of  the  proposed  boat.  Set  the  boards  up  edge- 
wise, the  width  on  the  gunwale  apart,  and  nail  on  a  cross-piece 
midway  between  the  ends.  Then  turn  the  boards  over  and, 
with  a  draw-shave,  shape  the  other  edges  to  a  proper  curve 
for  the  bottom.  Next,  nail  a  board  across  the  middle  of  the 
bottom ;  then  bring  the  ends  of  the  boards  together  and  nail 
them  to  the  bow  and  stern  pieces.  The  bottom  is  then  made 
by  nailing  boards  crosswise,  care  being  taken  to  give  the  sides 
a  proper  curve.  After  all  the  parts  are  put  together,  the 
joints  are  caulked,  and  the  bateau  is  then  ready  for  use. 


SNOW-SHOES. 


THE  proper  form  of  a  snow-shoe  and  the  mode  of  fastening 
it  to  the  foot  are  shown  in  the  illustration  on  the  opposite  page. 
The  frame  of  the  shoe  should  be  made  of  ash  or  some  other 
strong,  elastic  wood.  The  interlacing  should  be  composed  of 
strips  of  deer-skin,  moose-skin,  or  untanned  neat's  hide.  Two 
methods  are  followed  in  fastening  the  interlacing  to  the  sides 
or  bow  of  the  shoe.  In  one  case  the  bow  is  firmly  and  closely 
wound  with  strips  of  skin,  and  the  interlacing  is  fastened 
into  the  winding.  In  the  other  case  the  winding  is  omitted 
and  the  interlacing  is  fastened  through  holes  bored  at  regular 
intervals  in  the  bow.  Snow-shoes  are  indispensable  to  the 
trapper  wherever  deep  snows  prevail. 


OIL  FOR  FIEE-ARMS. 


THE  trapper  should  always  be  provided  with  oil  for  his  guns. 
Probably  the  best  kind  he  can  use  is  purified  neat's-foot  oil. 
It  is  prepared  in  this  way :  Drop  a  few  strips  of  lead  or  some 
shot  into  a  bottle  of  the  oil  and  then  place  it  in  the  sun's  rays. 
A  heavy  deposit  will  take  place,  filling  the  lower  part  of  the 
bottle.  The  upper  part  becomes  bright  and  limpid,  and  by  a 
repetition  of  the  process  may  be  so  effectually  purified  that  it 
will  never  be  liable  to  viscidity.  It  is  in  this  manner  that 
watchmakers  purify  the  oil  used  in  lubricating  their  delicate 
machinery.  Oil  prepared  from  the  fat  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse 
is  also  good  for  fire-arms  when  the  above  cannot  be  obtained. 


NARRATIVES. 

[In  the  first  three  of  the  following  articles  illustrating  the  trapper's  life, 
we  introduce  to  our  readers  the  Hutchins  family,  the  father  and  two  sons 
—  a  trio  of  "  mighty  hunters."  —  EDITORS.] 


AN  EVENING  WITH  AN  OLD   TRAPPER. 

BY  W.  A.  HINDS. 


OF  all  story-tellers,  give  me  those  who  have  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  their  lives  in  hunting,  fishing,  and  trapping  ; 
who  have  lived  for  weeks  on  wild  game ;  who  have  tramped 
for  months  alone  through  the  forests ;  who  have  camped  on 
green  boughs,  or  kept  themselves  comfortable  in  deer-skins, 
when  the  thermometer  was  far  below  zero.  Such  men  inspire 
me  with  a  degree  of  respect  like  that  entertained  for  all  whose 
lives  have  been  heroic.  Soldiers  of  the  woods,  they  have 
often  endured  hardships  superior  to  those  who  have  carried 
the  knapsack  in  the  open  field.  Though  in  many  instances 
unfamiliar  with  books,  they  yet  have  a  power  of  graphic  and 
forcible  description,  seldom  possessed  by  those  who  have  made 
language  their  study.  After  conversing  with  them  an  hour, 
one  feels  as  though  he  had  himself  encountered  the  bear  and 
the  panther,  and  been  successful  in  hunting  the  otter  and 
mink. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find,  at  least  in  the  Eastern  and 
Middle  States,  a  better  representative  of  this  class  than  Mr. 
John  Hutchins,  now  a  resident  of  Manlius,  N.  Y. 

Born  in  Portland,  Somerset  County,  Maine,  November  16, 
1801,  he  is  consequently  now  (1865)  nearly  sixty-four  years 
of  age  ;  but  he  is  still  "  eager  for  the  chase,"  and  is  plan- 
ning a  trapping  expedition  into  Canada  for  the  coming  au- 


132  NARRATIVES. 

tumn.  For  more  than  half  a  century,  he  has  spent  a  por- 
tion of  each  year  in  trapping  and  hunting.  In  his  tenth  year 
he  caught  and  shot  seventy-three  squirrels,  six  blue  jays,  one 
mink,  one  weasel,  and  six  partridges.  When  fourteen  years 
of  age  he  caught  a  bear  which  had  killed  a  cow  in  the  neigh- 
borhood where  he  lived  in  Maine ;  and  he  estimates  the  num- 
ber of  animals  which  he  has  caught  in  traps,  or  otherwise 
destroyed,  as  follows :  100  moose  ;  1000  deer ;  10  caribou ; 
100  bears ;  50  wolves ;  500  foxes ;  100  raccoons ;  25  wild 
cats ;  100  lynx  ;  150  otter ;  600  beaver ;  400  fishers  ;  mink 
and  marten  by  the  thousands  ;  muskrats  by  the  ten  thousands. 

After  reading  the  above  list,  no  one  will  doubt  his  skill  and 
wisdom  in  wood-craft,  or  question  the  probability  of  the  advent- 
ures he  relates.  He  is  always  ready  to  communicate  to 
others  what  he  has  learned  in  his  long  life  in  the  woods ;  and 
he  takes  the  same  pleasure  in  recounting  his  adventures  that 
the  scar-worn  soldier  takes  in  telling  of  battles,  sieges,  and 
marches.  On  meeting  Mr.  Hutchins  a  short  time  since,  in 
company  with  his  son,  I  interrogated  him  in  true  Yankee 
style,  as  follows  :  — 

41  In  what  part  of  the  country  have  you  trapped  and 
hunted  ?  " 

"  Mostly  in  Maine,  Lower  Canada,  New  Brunswick,  and 
New  York,  but  some  in  Vermont  and  in  Michigan." 

"  At  what  seasons  of  the  year  do  you  generally  trap  ?  " 

"  I  generally  commence  about  the  first  of  November,  and 
trap  till  the  first  of  April.  There  is  no  certainty  of  securing 
prime  fur  before  the  first  of  November,  and  but  few  kinds  are 
good  after  the  first  of  April.  The  three  kinds — beaver,  otter, 
and  muskrat  —  are,  however,  good  till  the  first  of  May ;  and 
the  fur  of  the  otter  is  good  even  as  late  in  the  season  as 
June." 

"  Do  you  generally  go  alone,  or  with  companions  ?  " 

"  I  have  trapped  alone  about  one  fourth  of  the  time.  It  is 
generally  more  pleasant,  but  less  profitable,  to  have  compan- 
ions. When  game  is  plenty,  it  answers  well  to  h^ave  part- 
ners ;  but  I  would  recommend  never  to  have  more  than  two, 
and  think  it  nearly  always  better  to  have  only  one  compan- 


AN  EVENING  WITH  AN   OLD  TRAPPER.          133 

"  How  many  animals  have  you  generally  taken  on  a  win- 
ter's trip  ?  " 

"  That  depends,  of  course,  entirely  upon  my  fortune  in 
securing  good  trapping  ground.  My  son  Samuel  and  I 
trapped  one  season  in  Upper  Canada,  and  caught  forty-seven 
beaver ;  and  the  furs  of  other  animals,  which  we  caught  at 
the  same  time,  would  bring  as  much  money  as  that  of  the 
beaver.  The  best  specimen  of  luck  I  ever  had  was  in  setting 
twenty-seven  traps,  and  finding  a  mink,  fisher,  or  marten  in 
twenty-five  of  them.  That  was  on  my  second  trip  to  Can- 
ada." 

44  How  much  money  did  you  generally  make  ?  " 

"  That  is  another  difficult  question.  I  have  made  from  $5 
to  $75  a  month." 

44  Well,  then,  how  much  did  you  make  in  your  best  trip  ?  " 

44  The  best  trip  I  ever  made  was  forty  years  ago.  I  went 
out  on  Dead  River,  in  the  State  of  Maine.  I  was  absent 
from  home  just  one  month  (started  December  3d,  and  re- 
turned January  3d)  ;  sold  my  fur  for  ninety-seven  dollars, 
and  fur  was  then  very  cheap.  The  same  fur  would  now 
bring  several  hundred  dollars.  Two  of  us  have  often  made 
$100  a  month,  or  $50  apiece." 

44  What  do  you  take  for  an  outfit  ?  " 

44  A  double-barrel  gun ;  a  hatchet  (I  used  to  carry  an  axe, 
but  now  prefer  the  hatchet)  ;  a  butcher-knife  ;  a  pocket-knife; 
a  camp-kettle  holding  about  six  quarts  ;  a  frying-pan  ;  a  pint 
dipper  or  cup,  and  a  spoon.  I  go  lightly  clad,  never  taking 
an  overcoat,  and  only  a  single  woolen  blanket.  For  a  win- 
ter's campaign,  I  take  40  Ibs.  flour,  10  Ibs.  pork,  6  qts.  beans, 
5  Ibs.  sugar,  and  1  Ib.  of  tea.  The  two  last  items  might  be 
dispensed  with.  I  have  lived  a  week  at  a  time  in  the  woods, 
eating  nothing  but  moose  meat ;  and  Reuben  Howard,  a  trap- 
per from  Connecticut,  says  he  has  lived  two  months  at  a  time 
on  deer's  meat  alone." 

44  If  you  were  starting  now,  would  n't  you  take  some  little 
conveniences  for  cooking  and  camping,  beside  those  you  have 
mentioned  ?  " 

44  No ;  the  longer  one  lives  the  life  of  a  hunter  and  trapper, 


134  NARRATIVES. 

the  better  he  learns  to  get  along  with  few  conveniences,  and 
the  more  desirous  he  becomes  of  avoiding  luggage." 

"  How  many  traps  do  you  take  along  ?  " 

"  When  I  first  went  trapping,  I  thought  six  or  eight  traps 
enough ;  but  steel-traps  are  so  much  better,  and  more  easily 
tended  than  wooden  traps  and  dead-falls,  that  I  now  take  one 
hundred  muskrat  or  mink  traps  —  sometimes  even  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  —  besides  a  few  otter  traps,  and,  if  I  am  going 
into  a  beaver  country,  a  dozen  beaver  traps." 

"  But  you  can't  take  all  these  into  the  woods  at  once  ?  " 

"No;  I  first  select  my  trapping  ground,  and  then  'make 
a  line,'  as  trappers  say ;  i.  e.,  carry  into  the  woods  three  or 
four  back-loads  of  traps,  and  deposit  them  in  safe  places  along 
the  line  on  which  I  intend  to  trap,  which  sometimes  extends 
from  twenty  to  forty  miles,  from  one  stream  to  another,  or 
from  one  lake  to  another." 

"  How  many  traps  can  one  man  tend  ?  " 

"  That  depends,  of  course,  upon  circumstances.  Where 
game  is  plenty,  fifty  traps  will  keep  you  skinning  and  stretch- 
ing ;  but  in  other  places  you  might  tend  one  hundred  and  fifty 
or  even  two  hundred  traps." 

"  How  did  you  camp  at  night  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  good  deal  to  be  learned  about  camping  out. 
When  I  go  into  the  woods  to  trap  for  any  length  of  time,  I 
generally  build  a  home-shanty  of  logs  or  bark.  If  I  want  to 
build  one  which  will  last  three  or  four  years,  I  make  it  of  logs, 
notching  or  dovetailing  the  ends,  and  laying  them  up  in  block- 
house style,  filling  the  cracks  with  moss,  and  making  a  roof 
of  split  cedar  or  bark.  Sometimes  I  make  a  shanty  by  simply 
driving  down  two  crotched  sticks,  placing  a  pole  on  them,  and 
sticking  down  poles  all  around  excepting  in  front,  and  cover- 
ing them  all  over  with  spruce  bark.  When  near  the  home- 
shanty  I  sleep  there  of  course,  but  at  other  times  I  have  no 
covering  excepting  a  single  blanket.  I  find  a  big  log,  and 
make  my  bed  of  boughs  on  that  side  of  it  least  exposed  to  the 
wind.  If  the  snow  is  deep,  I  select  my  camping-place  on  the 
hill-side,  digging  down  to  the  ground  to  make  a  fire,  and  sleep- 
ing myself  on  the  snow  below,  so  that  the  blaze  of  the  fire 


AN  EVENING  WITH  AN  OLD  TRAPPER.  135 

will  shine  directly  upon  me.  When  travelling  by  water,  I 
draw  the  boat  on  to  the  bank  at  night,  partly  turn  it  up,  and 
sleep  under  it,  building  a  fire  a  few  feet  distant  in  front.  I 
generally  have  slept  very  soundly  in  the  woods." 

"  I  have  kept  you  answering  questions  a  long  time  ;  but  I 
shall  not  leave  fully  satisfied  unless  you  will  give  me  an  ac- 
count of  some  interesting  adventures,  of  which  you  must  have 
had  many  in  your  half-century's  hunting  and  trapping." 

"  My  experiences  have  not  been  so  thrilling  as  those  related 
in  many  books ;  besides,  I  am  a  poor  hand  to  tell  stories." 

"  Tell  him  how  you  once  nearly  froze  to  death,"  said  his 
son  John,  always  pleased  to  hear  his  father  repeat  his  advent- 
ures. 

"  Well,  then,"  replied  Mr.  Hutchins,  who  only  waited  for 
a  little  urging,  "  I  will  tell  you  of  my 

ADVENTURE    ON    THE    DEAD    RIVER. 

"  It  must  have  taken  place  nearly  forty  years  ago  in  the 
State  of  Maine.  It  was  on  my  second  long  trapping  expedi- 
tion. I  went  into  the  woods  with  one  Captain  John  Churchill, 
a  great  trapper  and  hunter.  After  we  had  killed  nine  moose, 
we  concluded  that  one  of  us  had  better  return  home  and  no- 
tify our  friends  and  neighbors  that  they  could  have  plenty  of 
moose  meat  by  coming  into  the  woods  after  it.  And  so  I 
started  home  for  that  purpose.  We  were  then  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Androscoggin,  about  thirty  miles  from  the  head- 
waters of  the  Dead  River,  where  our  home-shanty  was.  The 
plan  was  for  me  to  follow  our  line  of  traps,  taking  along  what 
fur  I  found,  and  skinning  and  stretching  it  at  the  home-shanty, 
where  I  was  to  remain  the  first  night.  But  instead  of  doing 
sor  I  thought,  on  reaching  the  shanty,  as  the  sun  was  still  an 
'hour  and  a  half  high,  that  I  would  leave  the  fur  for  Churchill 
to  skin,  and  go  on  several  miles  further.  It  was  fifteen  miles 
down  the  Dead  River  to  Folsom's  house,  but  I  thought  1 
could  go  about  half  way,  to  the  place  where  Captain  Churchill 
and  I  had  camped  when  we  went  into  the  woods.  So  I 
tramped  on.  It  was  one  of  the  cold,  sharp,  biting  days  in 
February,  and  the  wind  blew  and  the  snow  flew  awfully.  I 


136  NARRATIVES. 

got  to  the  shanty  about  dark,  and  carefully  collected  a  pile  of 
dry  sticks  for  kindling,  spread  my  blanket  in  the  corner,  and 
prepared  to  have  a  comfortable  night  of  it.  Then  I  went  to 
my  knapsack  to  get  my  flint  and  steel  to  light  my  fire  with, 
but  they  were  missing.  I  searched  every  corner  in  vain,  and 
finally  concluded  that  I  had  left  them  back  in  camp.  By  this 
time  it  was  dark,  and  piercing  cold,  and  I  hardly  knew  what 
to  do.  It  was  too  late  to  think  of  returning  to  the  camp,  and 
I  knew  I  should  freeze  to  death  if  I  remained  where  I  was. 
So,  after  thinking  it  all  over,  I  concluded  to  go  on  to  Fol- 
som's.  I  thought  if  I  could  get  to  the  river  the  ice  would  be 
strong  enough  to  hold  me,  and  it  would  be  easier  travelling, 
and  a  straight  road. 

"  I  continued  my  course  down  the  river  until  I  came  to  a 
series  of  falls.  Here  the  river  was  open,  and  I  was  obliged 
to  leave  the  ice  and  travel  on  land  until  I  got  by  the  falls. 
After,  as  I  thought,  I  had  got  by  all  danger,  and  supposing 
the  ice  strong  enough  to  bear  me,  I  grasped  an  alder-bush  and 
slid  down  on  to  the  ice.  But  the  ice  was  n't  as  strong  as  I  had 
calculated,  and  so,  instead  of  landing  on  solid  bottom,  I  went 
straight  through.  I  went  in  up  to  my  neck,  and  was  only 
saved  from  going  completely  under  by  the  alder-bush,  to  which 
I  still  clung.  I  managed  by  dint  of  some  maneuvering  to  dis- 
engage myself  from  my  snow-shoes  and  knapsack.  These,  with 
my  hatchet,  I  shoved  from  me  on  the  ice.  I  then  pulled  my- 
self out  and  went  on  ;  but  before  I  had  gone  twenty  rods  my 
clothes  were  frozen  stiff.  I  kept  on  for  some  distance  further 
down  stream,  to  where  the  river  was  not  so  rapid,  and  con- 
cluded to  try  the  ice  again.  But  I  had  no  better  luck  than 
before.  The  ice  gave  way,  and  in  I  went  again,  just  as  I  did 
before.  I  felt  pretty  bad,  I  can  tell  you,  about  that  time  ; 
but  I  managed  to  get  out  and  go  on  again.  The  walking  was 
so  hard  that  I  could  n't  help  trying  the  ice  once  more.  I 
ought  to  have  known  better,  or  at  least  taken  better  care, 
after  getting  in  twice  ;  but  somehow  I  did  n't.  I  slid  down  on 
to  the  ice,  and  in  an  instant  found  myself  in  a  little  worse  sit- 
uation than  I  had  been  before.  The  ice  was  nearly  but  not 
quite  thick  enough  to  bear  me  ;  and  I  was  so  far  from  shore 


AN  EVENING  WITH  AN  OLD  TRAPPER.  137 

this  time  that  I  could  not  pull  myself  out.  I  floundered 
about  among  the  broken  ice  and  water  for  quite  a  little  while  ; 
but  finally  managed  to  relieve  myself  of  my  luggage  some- 
what after  the  same  manner  as  before.  I  then  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  shore,  not  in  very  good  trim  for  travel  either, 
for  the  ice,  which  had  frozen  on  my  clothes  during  my  three 
duckings,  made  them  very  stiff  and  heavy. 

44  In  spite  of  all  this  I  managed  to  get  to  Folsom's ;  but 
here  I  had  another  disappointment.  No  one  was  there,  and 
the  fire  was  all  out.  Of  course  I  could  not  stop  in  the  con- 
dition I  was  in,  as  I  should  have  frozen  to  death  in  half  an 
hour.  The  nearest  house  was  at  Reed's,  fifteen  miles  farther 
down  the  river,  and  there  was  no  other  way  for  me  but  to  get 
there  as  soon  as  possible. 

44  So  I  started  down  the  river  for  Reed's.  It  was  eleven  or 
twelve  o'clock  at  night,  and  I  had  a  pretty  hard  time  of  it,  but 
got  there  at  last.  Reed's  house  was  on  a  hill ;  and  when  I  got 
to  the  foot  of  that  great  hill  I  could  n't  walk  up  it  to  save  my 
life  ;  I  had  to  crawl  up  on  my  hands  and  knees.  Finally  I 
got  to  the  house  and  rapped  at  the  door,  and  Reed  came  and 
opened  it.  I  suppose  I  did  look  rather  forlorn  ;  at  any  rate, 
he  seemed  almost  frightened  at  first.  4  For  God's  sake, 
Hutchins,  is  this  you  ? '  were  the  first  words  he  said.  I 
explained  my  circumstances  to  him,  and  he  took  me  into  the 
house,  built  up  a  big  fire  and  thawed  me  out,  and  then  put 
me  to  bed,  where  I  slept  till  the  next  day  at  noon,  and  then 
got  up,  feeling  as  well  as  usual,  only  a  little  stiff. 

44  It  was  thirty  miles  from  the  place  on  the  Androscoggin 
where  I  first  started  from,  to  our  camp ;  fifteen  miles  from 
there  to  Folsom's ;  and  fifteen  miles  from  Folsom's  to  Reed's, 
—  in  all  sixty  miles.  I  started  from  the  Androscoggin  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  got  to  Reed's  at  half  past 
three  the  next  morning,  making  the  whole  sixty  miles  in  nine- 
teen hours  and  a  half.  I  think  if  I  had  allowed  myself  to  be 
frightened  or  disheartened,  I  should  have  gone  under ;  but  I 
kept  up  good  heart,  and  came  out  all  right." 


A  YOUNG  TRAPPER'S  EXPERIENCE. 

BY  JOHN  P.  HUTCHINS.* 


MY  earliest  recollections  are  of  the  forest.  My  father  was 
an  experienced  hunter  and  trapper,  and  when  I  was  but  five 
years  of  age  I  accompanied  him  on  one  of  his  expeditions  into 
the  great  Maine  wilderness  in  search  of  game  and  fish.  I 
have  a  dim  recollection  on  that  occasion  of  hooking  on  to  a 
very  large  fish,  and  of  being  unable,  with  my  slender  strength, 
to  get  him  into  the  boat  in  which  I  was  seated.  This  childish 
disappointment  made  quite  an  impression  upon  me,  and  I  used 
anxiously  to  look  forward  to  the  time  when  I  should  be  a 
match  for  any  of  the  beasts  of  the  woods,  or  the  fish  in  the 
waters. 

I  was  sufficiently  old  to  endure  the  hardships  of  forest  life, 
when  my  father  took  up  his  abode  on  the  southern  border  of 
the  great  New  York  forest,  sometimes  called  "  John  Brown's 
Tract."  There  we  prosecuted  the  business  of  trapping  in 
earnest.  We  stretched  a  line  of  traps  nearly  forty  miles  in 
length  directly  into  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  over  rivers, 
mountains,  lakes,  and  plains;  and  along  this  line  we  dili- 
gently trapped  the  otter,  fisher,  marten,  mink,  muskrat,  and 
raccoon. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  management  of  a  practical  trapper 
in  the  woods,  I  will  describe  in  detail  the  operations  by  which 
we  subsisted,  and  took  our  game  while  in  the  woods. 

As  our  line  of  traps  was  about  forty  miles  in  length,  and 
of  course  involved  a  journey  of  eighty  miles  to  and  from  our 
home,  our  outfit  became  at  once  a  very  important  considera- 

*  A  member  of  the  Oneida  Community. 


A  YOUNG  TRAPPER'S  EXPERIENCE.  139 

tion.  In  the  first  place,  we  must  have  enough  to  eat,  and  the 
means  wherewith  to  cook  our  food ;  and  at  the  same  time  we 
must  not  overload  ourselves  with  luggage,  as  every  pound 
of  our  personal  effects  must  be  carried  on  our  backs  for  long 
days,  through  a  pathless  wilderness.  The  object  then  was  to 
secure  the  greatest  amount  of  nutriment  with  the  least  possi- 
ble weight. 

And  then,  not  only  food,  but  other  absolute  necessaries 
must  be  provided.  We  must  have  the  means  for  procuring 
fire,  for  securing  game  and  fish,  for  taking  and  disposing  of 
our  furs,  for  keeping  warm  on  a  cold  night,  &c. ;  all  of  which 
weigh  down  seriously,  but  can  by  no  means  be  overlooked  or 
omitted. 

I  may  as  well  here  remark,  that  about  one  fifth  of  the  lug- 
gage generally  recommended  by  writers  and  book-makers  who 
treat  of  life  in  the  woods,  as  suitable  for  the  hunter's  or  trap- 
per's outfit,  will  cover  all  his  absolute  wants.  The  remaining 
four  fifths  the  old  woodsman  will  consider  as  luxuries,  if  not 
superfluities.  I  suppose  that,  as  a  general  thing,  writers  are 
not  practical  hunters  or  trappers,  and  this  may  account  for  the 
discrepancy  I  have  mentioned. 

A  trapper  makes  great  account  of  his  fire.  Aside  from  its 
primary  use  in  cooking  his  food,  it  oftentimes  supplies  the 
place  of  house  and  bedding.  Some  carry  with  them  a  light 
woolen  blanket,  but  oftener  the  woodsman  has  only  the  earth 
for  his  resting-place,  and  the  heavens  for  his  counterpane,  a 
sheltered  nook,  where  the  wind  cannot  blow  too  rudely,  a  few 
hemlock  boughs  for  his  bed,  and  a  fire  just  in  proportion  to 
the  temperature  of  the  season. 

Aside  from  the  necessary  supply  of  traps,  the  trapper's  outfit 
can  be  reduced  to  about  the  following  items  : 

First.  A  basket  or  knapsack,  to  carry  on  his  back,  and 
large  enough  to  hold  provisions  and  other  necessaries  for  the 
journey. 

Second.  Eatables,  consisting  principally,  or  wholly,  of  pork 
and  flour  ;  or,  what  is  better  on  some  accounts,  a  mixture  of 
flour  and  Indian  meal,  in  the  proportion  of  two  parts  flour  to 
one  of  meal.  Add  to  this  a  little  saleratus  and  a  small  bag 


140  NARRATIVES. 

of  salt,  and  a  man  can  carry  food  sufficient,  with  what  game 
and  fish  he  can  procure,  to  last  him  a  month.  It  is  much 
easier  to  carry  the  flour  into  the  woods  and  bake  it  as  it  is 
wanted,  than  to  attempt  to  use  bread  already  baked,  as  it  is 
lighter  and  less  bulky.  When  the  woodsman  wishes  for 
bread,  he  mixes  the  flour  in  a  basin  of  warm  water,  adds  a 
little  saleratus  and  salt,  and  bakes  it  in  his  frying-pan,  or  if 
that  is  not  at  hand,  on  a  chip. 

Third.  Cooking  utensils,  namely,  a  small  frying-pan,  two 
tin  basins  of  the  capacity  of  one  and  two  quarts  respectively, 
and  a  small  tin  cup  for  drinking* 

Fourth.  Implements  for  general  use,  namely,  an  axe,  gun, 
knife,  and  pocket-compass. 

Lastly,  and  above  all,  a  good  supply  of  matches. 

Every  trapper  should  have  a  companion  to  assist  him,  as 
the  same  gun,  axe,  and  cooking  utensils  will  suffice  for  both, 
and  it  is  much  less  labor  for  two  than  for  one  to  carry  them. 

When  the  business  of  trapping  is  prosecuted  on  the  borders 
of  lakes  and  large  streams,  much  hard  labor  is  saved  by  the 
use  of  a  boat.  Those  who  make  free  use  of  boats  are  more 
lavish  in  their  outfit,  as  the  labor  of  transportation  is  there- 
by very  much  reduced.  I  suspect  that  Mr.  Newhouse  has 
been  more  familiar  with  this  method  than  myself;  and  this 
may  account  for  any  apparent  discrepancy  between  us  in 
respect  to  outfit. 

When  I  began  life  as  a  trapper,  I  lived,  as  I  have  said,  with 
my  father,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  great  New  York 
wilderness ;  so  that  our  line  of  traps  commenced  not  far  from 
our  home.  This  line  was  by  degrees  extended  further  and 
further  into  the  forest,  until  it  had  reached  the  limit  beyond 
which  the  provisions  we  could  carry  would  not  hold  out.  We 
began  by  carrying  our  traps  into  the  woods,  and  distributing 
them  along  our  intended  line  before  the  trapping  season  began  ; 
so  that  when  the  time  arrived  that  fur  was  suitable  for  market, 
we  should  have  only  to  set  our  traps  and  bait  them.  At  the 
proper  season  we  would  shoulder  our  packs,  containing  as 
much  provisions  as  we  could  comfortably  cany,  and  commence 
carefully  setting  and  baiting  our  traps.  This  process  was  con- 


A  YOUNG  TRAPPER'S  EXPERIENCE.  141 

tinned  as  long  as  our  provisions  would  allow,  and  then  we 
would  return  on  the  same  line,  examining  our  traps,  skinning 
the  animals  taken,  and  stretching  their  furs.  After  a  short 
interval,  this  process  was  repeated,  and  kept  up  while  the 
season  lasted. 

Our  usual  course  was,  to  follow  rivers  and  streams,  and 
visit  all  the  lakes  in  the  vicinity  of  our  line.  When  following 
streams,  or  the  shores  of  the  lakes,  we  would  trap  the  beaver, 
otter,  mink,  and  muskrat ;  and  when  our  line  extended  over 
land  and  away  from  the  water,  we  took  the  marten,  fisher,  and 
raccoon. 

Our  methods  of  setting  and  baiting  traps,  and  our  contriv- 
ances for  circumventing  animals,  were  generally  very  much 
like  those  recommended  by  Mr.  Newhouse,  and  need  not  be 
detailed. 

In  the  course  of  my  trapping  experience  I  had  considerable 
practice  in  taking  the  fisher,  and  became  somewhat  familiar 
with  its  ways.  This  is  a  very  pretty  creature,  with  glossy 
black  fur,  and  a  long  bushy  tail.  But,  like  the  cat,  it  has  a 
temper  that  is  not  so  mild  and  agreeable  as  its  appearance 
might  indicate ;  nor  does  the  close  embrace  of  one  of  New- 
house's  traps  tend  to  mollify  it  at  all.  It  frequently  makes  sad 
havoc  with  the  trap  and  its  appurtenances,  and  sometimes  gets 
away  after  being  fairly  caught.  I  well  remember  a  trying 
experience  I  had  with  one  of  these  animals  in  the  North 
Woods.  I  had  seen  his  tracks,  and  had  carefully  set  my  trap 
with  all  the  usual  fixings  and  fastenings,  in  full  faith  in  his 
ultimate  capture.  But  on  going  to  the  place  the  next  day, 
trap  and  chain  were  clean  gone,  and  all  fixings  demolished. 
The  fisher  had  been  there,  and  had  been  caught,  but  instead 
of  submitting  handsomely  to  his  fate,  had  gone  and  robbed 
me  of  a  good  Newhouse  trap.  (It  was  not  Newhouse's  fault.) 
He  was  a  very  large  animal,  and  the  spring-pole  was  not 
strong  enough  to  swing  him  clear  off  the  ground.  So  after 
demolishing  the  inclosure  in  which  the  trap  was  set,  and  mak- 
ing a  general  smash  of  things  around,  he  threw  himself  upon 
the  end  of  the  pole,  actually  gnawed  it  off  below  where  the 
ring  was  fastened,  and  left  for  parts  unknown.  How  he 


H2  NARRATIVES 

finally  disposed  of  the  valuables  he  carried  off,  or  whether  he 
drew  them  about  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  is  left  for  conjecture. 
I  have  long  since  abandoned  the  woods,  and  my  trapper's 
life  seems  like  a  dream  of  the  past ;  and  yet  I  look  back  to  it 
as  a  long  and  pleasant  dream,  despite  of  its  many  hardships 
and  privations.  In  entering  the  woods  I  seemed  to  leave 
behind  the  jostlings  and  heartaches  of  crowded  society  —  the 
great  "  torn  "  in  which  mankind  are  tumbling  and  chafing  — 
and  went  forth  into  the  freedom  and  peace  of  undisturbed 
Nature. 


THE  DEER  HUNT. 

FROM  SAMUEL  S.  HUTCHINS'*  JOURNAL. 


OCT.  21,  1860.  —  We  caught  a  deer  to-day,  and  I  am 
going  to  tell  you  all  about  it ;  for  we  had  a  lively  time,  I 
assure  you. 

It  was  one  of  those  still,  cloudy  mornings  you  see  so  often 
at  this  time  of  year.  We  rose  early,  got  our  breakfast,  did  up 
our  chores,  and  then  started  for  the  lake  to  hunt  deer.  We 
found  the  lake  as  calm  and  smooth  as  glass.  Father  took  the 
large  boat  and  went  up  to  the  head  of  the  lake  to  start  the  dog, 
and  I  took  the  small  boat  and  started  down  the  lake  for  the 
"  point,"  to  watch  for  the  deer.  After  getting  there  I  climbed 
up  into  a  tree,  so  that  I  could  have  a  good  view  of  the  lake, 
and  listened  for  the  dog.  After  staying  there  some  time,  the 
wind  began  to  rise,  and  I  was  cold,  and  began  to  think  that 
we  should  hardly  get  a  deer  that  day.  So  I  came  down  out  of 
the  tree  and  begun  stirring  about  to  get  warm,  when  I  heard 
the  dog  away  off  on  the  hills.  I  stopped  for  a  moment  to  see 
which  way  the  chase  was  going,  and  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  they  were  coming  around  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  so 
on  down  to  where  I  was.  I  then  got  up  into  the  tree  again, 
to  await  the  result.  I  waited  about  an  hour,  I  should  think, 
watching  the  upper  part  of  the  lake  most  of  the  time,  think- 
ing the  deer  would  be  most  likely  to  come  in  there.  On  look- 
ing, however,  in  the  other  direction,  behold  there  was  the 
deer,  swimming  for  life.  It  was  a  buck,  and  a  large  one  too. 
He  was  about  half-way  across  the  lake,  and  half  a  mile  from 
where  I  was.  I  did  not  stand  there  and  look  at  him  long,  I 

*  This  young  man  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  and  came  home  from  McClellan's 
peninsular  campaign,  with  wounds  and  diseases  that  caused  his  death  in  the  fall  of 
1864. 


144  NARRATIVES. 

reckon.  Down  I  came,  twenty  feet  at  two  jumps,  hurting  my 
shins  most  wofully  on  the  limbs,  and  my  nose  on  the  stones 
where  I  landed ;  but  I  picked  myself  up  and  got  into  my 
boat.  Then  commenced  the  chase.  But  let  me  describe 
the  boat  in  which  I  was,  so  that  you  can  better  appreciate  the 
fun.  It  is  just  eleven  feet  long,  and  sixteen  inches  wide,  and 
scarcely  heavier  than  an  egg-shell,  (poetic  license,)  and  will 
upset  a  great  deal  easier.  It  was  made  from  a  bass-wood  log, 
and  well  made  too,  and  is  what  is  commonly  called  a  "  dug- 
out."  I  had  to  stand  on  my  knees  in  the  middle,  and  had  a 
double  paddle,  which  is  just  like  a  common  one,  only  it  has  a 
blade  on  each  end.  Thus  equipped  I  started  the  chase,  with 
the  wind  in  my  favor,  and  with  the  firm  intention  of  catching 
the  buck  if  I  possibly  could.  He  was  a  good  half  mile  ahead 
of  me,  and  had  not  so  far  as  that  to  go  to  get  to  shore  ;  and 
I  could  see  that  he  swam  furiously.  I  had  no  weapons  to  slay 
him  with.  My  duty  was  to  get  around  him,  and  drive  him 
up  the  lake  to  father,  who,  when  he  saw  me  start  out,  I  ex- 
pected, would  come  and  meet  me  and  help  kill  him.  So  away 
I  went,  exerting  every  nerve  and  muscle  ;  shot  around  the 
point,  and  was  out  at  sea  in  "  no  time  ;  "  kept  my  eye  on  the 
deer,  arid  took  a  course  that  would  cut  him  off  from  the  shore 
that  he  was  swimming  for.  For  a  long  while  I  went  thus, 
with  the  wind  in  my  favor,  sometimes  thinking  that  I  should 
overhaul  him,  and  then  again  that  I  should  not.  Finally  I 
saw  that  I  was  gaining  on  him  a  little  ;  but  I  knew  that  I 
must  do  more  than  that,  if  I  wanted  to  catch  him  ;  so  I  re- 
doubled my  efforts.  "  Pull,  Sam  !  "  I  muttered,  "  you  must 
overhaul  him,  anyhow  ;  "  and  so  I  did.  After  a  long  and  hard 
pull  I  came  up  to  him.  When  he  saw  me  he  turned  square  off 
from  me,  and  swam  almost  as  fast  again  as  he  did  before. 
When  I  came  about,  side  to  the  wind,  to  follow  him,  my  little 
boat  dipped  water  at  every  wave.  But  I  stopped  riot  for  that. 
I  wanted  to  run  in  beside  him  once  more,  and  turn  him  toward 
the  opposite  shore ;  but  I  found  that  it  was  somewhat  harder 
to  do  so  than  I  expected.  I  laid  out  all  my  strength.  You 
could  have  heard  me  puff  half  a  mile  off,  if  you  had  been 
within  that  distance.  I  could  see  that  1  gained  on  him,  but 


THE  DEER  HUNT.  145 

very  slowly.  He  sees  that  I  am  coming  too  near  him,  and  he 
makes  a  short  turn  and  swims  for  the  middle  of  the  lake  — just 
where  I  wanted  him  to  go,  exactly !  When  I  found  he  was 
safe,  I  dropped  my  paddle  and  shouted  lustily  for  joy.  Fa- 
ther came  in  a  few  minutes,  and  dispatched  him,  but  not  with- 
out a  desperate  battle.  He  fired  three  charges  of  buck-shot 
into  his  head,  struck  him  more  than  forty  blows  with  a  hatchet, 
and  only  succeeded  in  killing  him  by  getting  hold  of  his  legs 
separately  and  hamstringing  him,  after  which  he  could  raise 
his  head  sufficiently  to  cut  his  throat.  He  was  an  old  buck  of 
the  toughest  kind,  and  weighed  three  hundred  pounds. 

10 


MUSKRAT  HUNTING. 

BY  HENRY  THACKER.* 


IN  the  winter  of  1844-5,  I  made  two  or  three  excursions 
from  the  city  of  Chicago  into  the  neighboring  wild  regions  for 
the  purpose  of  spearing  and  trapping  muskrats.  At  this  dis- 
tance of  time  I  shall  hardly  be  able  to  give  from  memory  a 
very  accurate  account  of  those  excursions ;  but  I  enjoyed 
them  so  well,  and  they  made  such  vivid  impressions  on  my 
mind,  that  I  can  at  least  give  an  outline  of  them,  and  shall 
recall  as  I  proceed  many  interesting  incidents. 

The  first  thing  I  did,  by  way  of  preparation  for  the  cam- 
paign, was  to  procure  a  suitable  spear,  which  was  simply  a  rod 
of  round  steel,  three  eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  three 
feet  long,  nicely  pointed  and  polished  at  one  end,  and  at  the 
other  driven  firmly  into  a  ferruled  wooden  handle,  also  about 
three  feet  long.  The  next  thing  (and  a  very  important  one) 
was  to  provide  a  pair  of  mufflers,  made  of  old  carpeting,  to  be 
drawn  on  over  my  boots.  Lastly  I  harnessed  myself  into  a 
knapsack  suitable  for  carrying  provisions,  game,  &c.  Thus 
equipped,  I  put  on  my  skates  one  morning,  as  soon  as  I  found 
the  ice  strong  enough  to  bear  me,  and  started  up  the  north 
branch  of  the  Chicago  River  for  Mud  Lake,  a  small  sheet 
of  water  about  twelve  miles  distant,  surrounded  by  extensive 
marshes,  a  noted  place,  not  only  for  the  habitation  of  the 
muskrat  and  mink,  but  for  the  gathering  in  the  spring  and 
fall  of  the  year,  of  multitudes  of  almost  every  variety  of  wild 
ducks,  geese,  and  other  water-fowl. 

Here  let  me  describe  the  character  and  situation  of  this 
*  A  member  of  the  Oneida  Community. 


TRACKER'S  EXCURSIONS.  147 

marsh  and  lake.  The  lake  proper  is  a  narrow  sheet  of  water, 
from  ten  to  twenty-five  rods  wide,  and  two  or  three  miles  in 
length.  The  water  is  from  three  to  ten  feet  deep,  and  the  soft 
mud  at  the  bottom  probably  a  great  deal  deeper.  This  lake 
seems  to  have  two  outlets  flowing  in  opposite  directions ;  one 
toward  Chicago,  being  the  principal  head-waters  of  the  south 
branch  of  the  river  which  forms  the  harbor  of  Chicago ;  the 
other  in  the  opposite  direction,  emptying  into  the  Oplain 
River,  which  is  among  the  head-waters  of  the  Illinois  River. 
I  was  told  that  at  the  time  of  the  high  water  in  June  of  that 
year  (1844),  schooners  from  Lake  Michigan  could  easily  have 
passed  through  this  lake  and  marsh,  into  the  Oplain,  and  so 
down  the  Illinois  River  to  the  Mississippi. 

But  to  return  to  my  story  :  on  arriving  at  the  marsh  I 
found  the  ice  strong  enough  to  bear  my  weight,  and  quite 
transparent.  A  sight  was  here  presented  that  I  had  never 
seen  before.  I  cannot  describe  the  view  better  than  by  liken- 
ing it  to  a  large  meadow  covered  with  hay-cocks,  so  thickly 
was  the  marsh  before  me  studded  with  muskrat  houses. 

These  structures  are  built  up  of  flag-tops,  roots,  mud,  and 
sea-weed,  or  water-grass,  to  the  height  and  size  of  a  hay-cock  ; 
and  in  them  the  muskrats  live  through  the  winter  and  spring. 
They  generally  commence  their  houses  on  a  place  where  the 
water  is  one  or  two  feet  deep,  and  build  it  up  entirely  solid, 
to  the  height  of  three  to  five  feet  above  the  water,  cutting 
out  channels  diverging  in  different  directions  from  the  house, 
and  using  the  materials  thus  displaced  in  strengthening  the 
foundation  of  the  house.  These  channels  are  used  as  run- 
ways by  the  rats,  in  going  back  and  forth  between  the  house 
and  their  feeding- beds,  during  winter.  After  the  superstruct- 
ure is  finished  a  hole  is  cut  from  underneath,  up  into  the  cen- 
tre of  the  house,  forming  a  nest  just  above  the  water,  leaving 
ample  room  for  a  second  story  in  case  of  a  flood. 

I  now  made  preparation  to  enter  upon  the  business  of  my 
excursion,  that  of  spearing  muskrats.  I  was  not  long  in  put- 
ting on  my  mufflers  and  getting  ready  for  the  onslaught ;  and, 
as  this  was  my  first  attempt  at  spearing,  I  was  full  of  enthu- 
siasm. With  feelings  of  interest  and  excitement,  I  marched 


148  NARRATIVES. 

up  to  a  large  house  very  cautiously  (for,  with  the  least  jar  or 
crack  of  the  ice,  away  goes  your  game),  and,  with  uplifted 
spear,  made  ready  for  a  thrust.  I  hesitated.  There  was  a 
difficulty  I  had  not  taken  into  account ;  I  knew  not  where  to 
strike.  The  chances  of  missing  the  game  were  apparent,  but 
there  was  no  time  to  be  lost ;  so  bang !  went  the  spear  into  a 
hard,  frozen  mass,  penetrating  it  not  more  than  three  or  four 
inches,  and  away  went  the  game  in  every  direction.  With 
feelings  of  some  chagrin  I  withdrew  my  spear,  and  began  feel- 
ing about  for  a  more  vulnerable  spot,  which  I  was  not  long 
in  detecting.  It  being  a  cold,  freezing  day,  I  discovered  an 
accumulation  of  white  frost  on  a  certain  spot  of  the  house, 
and  putting  my  spear  on  the  place  I  found  it  readily  entered. 
The  mystery  was  solved  at  once  ;  this  frost  on  the  outside  of 
the  house  was  caused  by  the  breath  and  heat  of  the  animals 
immediately  beneath  it^and  it  was  generally  on  the  southeast 
side  of  the  centre  of  the  house,  this  being  the  warmest  side. 
Acting  on  these  discoveries,  I  made  another  trial,  and  was 
successful ;  and  now  the  sport  began  in  good  earnest.  When- 
ever I  made  a  successful  thrust,  I  would  cut  a  hole  through 
the  wall  of  the  house  with  my  hatchet,  and  take  out  the  game, 
close  up  the  hole,  and  start  for  another  house.  The  remain- 
ing members  of  the  family  would  soon  return,  and  immedi- 
ately set  about  repairing  the  breach.  I  sometimes  succeeded 
in  pinning  two  rats  at  one  thrust.  I  also  became  quite  expert 
in  taking  game  in  another  way,  as  follows :  Whenever  I 
made  an  unsuccessful  thrust  into  a  house,  the  rats  would  dive 
into  the  water  through  their  paths  or  run-ways,  and  disappear 
in  all  directions.  I  now  found  I  could  easily  drive  my  one- 
tined  spear  through  the  ice  two  inches  thick,  and  pin  a  rat 
with  considerable  certainty,  which  very  much  increased  the 
sport,  and  I  was  not  long  in  securing  a  pile  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  rats. 

Here  I  made  a  discovery  of  what,  until  now,  had  been  a 
mystery  to  me,  namely,  how  a  muskrat  managed  to  remain  so 
long  a  time  in  the  water  under  the  ice  without  drowning. 
The  muskrat,  I  perceived,  on  leaving  his  house  inhaled  a  full 
breath,  and  would  then  stay  under  water  as  long  as  he  could 


TRACKER'S   EXCURSIONS.  149 

without  breathing ;  when  he  would  rise  up  with  his  nose 
against  the  ice,  and  breathe  out  his  breath,  which  seemed  to 
displace  the  water,  forming  a  bubble.  I  could  distinctly  see 
him  breathe  this  bubble  in  and  out  several  times,  and  then 
dive  again.  In  this  way  I  have  chased  them  about  under  the 
ice  for  some  time  before  capturing  them.  I  do  not  know  how 
long  the  muskrat  could  live  under  the  ice,  but  I  have  heard 
of  their  having  been  seen  crossing  large  bays  and  rivers  under 
the  ice,  five  miles  from  shore.  I  saw  a  man  in  Illinois  who 
told  me  he  chased  two  otters  under  the  ice  for  three  quarters 
of  an  hour,  trying  to  kill  them  with  his  axe,  and  finally  lost 
them ;  which  goes  to  show  that  these  animals,  as  well  as  the 
muskrat,  can  live  under  the  ice  a  long  time. 

As  I  frequently  speared  the  muskrat  on  his  feeding-bed, 
and  subsequently  found  it  to  be  the  best  and  surest  place  to 
set  a  trap  for  him,  I  will,  for  the  benefit  of  the  novice,  under- 
take to  describe  one  as  found  in  the  marshes.  A  feeding-bed 
is  a  place  where  the  muskrat  goes  to  feed,  generally  at  night, 
and  is  frequently  many  rods  from  his  house.  Here  he  selects 
a  place  where  his  food  is  convenient,  and  by  the  aid  of  the 
refuse  material  of  the  roots,  &c.,  which  he  carries  here  for 
food,  he  elevates  himself  partly  out  of  water,  in  a  sort  of  hut. 
Here  he  sits  and  eats  his  food,  and  at  the  slightest  noise,  or 
least  appearance  of  danger,  disappears  in  an  instant  under 
water.  In  the  winter  these  feeding-places  are  readily  discov- 
ered by  a  bunch  of  wadded  grass,  flag,  or  some  other  mate- 
rial, about  the  size  of  a  man's  hat,  protruding  above  the  ice. 
This  little  mound  is  hollow,  and  is  only  large  enough  for  a 
single  rat,  where  he  sits  and  eats  his  food,  with  his  lower  parts 
in  the  water.  When  the  rats  were  disturbed  in  their  house, 
I  found  they  generally  fled  to  these  feeding-huts,  where  they 
were  almost  a  certain  mark  for  the  spearman. 

Finding  I  had  taken  as  many  rats  as  I  could  conveniently 
strip  before  they  became  frozen,  I  set  about  the  work  of  skin- 
ning, and  after  an  hour  and  a  half  of  pretty  cold  work,  I 
bagged  my  skins,  put  on  my  skates,  and  started  for  the  city, 
well  satisfied  with  my  first  day's  excursion. 

In  my  next  excursion,  not  many  days  after,  to  the  same 


150  NARRATIVES. 

place,  I  had  still  better  success.  As  the  ice  had  now  become 
too  thick  to  be  easily  penetrated  by  my  spear,  I  adopted,  in 
part,  a  different  mode  of  taking  the  game.  This  time  I  car- 
ried with  me,  in  addition  to  my  spear,  two  dozen  steel-traps, 
and  a  bundle  of  willow  sticks  (cut  on  the  way)  about  three 
feet  long.  On  arriving  at  the  hunting  grounds  I  prepared  my- 
self for  the  day's  sport  by  putting  on  my  mufflers,  and  with 
traps  and  willow  sticks  slung  upon  my  back,  began  the  work 
by  driving  my  spear  into  the  first  house  I  came  to.  I  could 
not  now  see  the  rats  as  they  fled  from  the  house,  on  account 
of  the  thickness  of  the  ice  and  a  slight  snow  that  lay  upon  it. 
Consequently  the  sport  of  spearing  them  through  the  ice  was 
cut  off.  But  as  often  as  I  had  occasion  to  cut  through  the 
walls  of  the  house  to  take  out  my  game,  I  set  a  steel-trap  in 
the  nest,  slipped  a  willow  stick  through  the  ring  of  the  chain, 
laid  it  across  the  hole,  slightly  stopped  it  up,  and  then  passed 
on  to  the  next  house  ;  and  so  on,  until  my  traps  were  all  gone. 
I  then  started  back  to  the  place  of  beginning,  driving  my 
spear  into  every  feeding-hut  in  my  course,  and  killing  many 
rats.  Finally,  I  began  going  over  the  ground  again,  first 
driving  my  spear  into  a  house,  then  examining  the  trap,  taking 
out  the  game,  and  re-setting  the  trap.  In  this  course  I  was 
quite  successful.  I  found  by  setting  the  trap  in  the  right 
place,  near  the  edge,  and  a  little  under  the  water,  I  was  al- 
most certain  to  take  the  first  rat  that  returned.  In  making 
two  or  three  rounds  in  this  way,  I  found  the  rats  became  some- 
what disturbed,  and  sought  temporary  shelter  elsewhere ; 
when  I  would  move  to  a  new  place,  giving  them  time  to  re- 
cover from  their  fright. 

I  think  this  a  very  profitable  method  of  trapping  the  musk- 
rat,  especially  in  an  open  winter.  It  very  much  lengthens 
the  season  of  trapping,  which  is  quite  an  important  considera- 
tion with  the  trapper.  Another  consideration  is,  the  trapper 
may  set  his  traps  and  allow  them  to  remain  many  days,  if  not 
convenient  to  go  to  them,  and  be  sure  his  fur  will  take  no 
harm ;  as  the  rat  on  being  caught  in  the  trap  dives  into  the 
water,  and  is  soon  drowned,  and  will  not  spoil  for  a  long  time 
at  this  season  of  the  year,  and  is  also  secure  from  frost. 


TRACKER'S  EXCURSIONS.  151 

I  will  here  state  that  I  found  a  muskrat  house  to  contain 
from  four  to  nine  rats.  I  have  caught  as  many  as  nine  from 
one  house.  Possibly  some  may  contain  a  greater  number  than 
this.  I  concluded  that  these  colonies  must  be  the  progeny  of 
a  single  rat  in  one  season,  or  for  aught  I  know,  at  a  single 
litter. 

In  these  winter  excursions,  I  sometimes  captured  several 
minks,  which  I  found  somewhat  different  from  the  mink  of  the 
Eastern  States,  being  much  larger,  and  of  a  lighter  brown 
color  and  coarser  fur.  I  sometimes  found  them  occupying 
muskrat  houses,  from  which  they  had  driven  or  destroyed  the 
muskrats,  of  the  flesh  of  which  they  are  very  fond.  They  are 
a  gross-feeding,  carnivorous  animal.  I  have  found  stored  up 
in  muskrat  houses  which  they  inhabited,  from  a  peck  to  half 
a  bushel  of  fish,  in  all  stages  of  decay,  and  some  freshly 
caught  and  alive  :  which  is  good  evidence  that  they  are  not 
only  gross  feeders,  but  good  fishers  also.  I  was  most  success- 
ful in  taking  the  mink  in  steel-traps,  baiting  with  muskrat- 
flesh  or  fish,  and  setting  my  traps  about  the  marshes,  and 
along  the  banks  of  streams  and  rivers.  A  mink  will  seldom 
pass  a  bait  without  taking  or  smelling  at  it ;  and  by  placing 
the  bait  a  little  beyond  the  trap,  in  such  a  position  that  he 
must  pass  over  the  trap  in  order  to  reach  it,  you  are  pretty 
sure  of  him.  I  also  caught  them  by  setting  the  trap  in  the 
mouth  of  their  dens  and  in  hollow  logs,  and  sometimes  en- 
joyed the  sport  of  digging  them  out  of  the  river-bank. 

In  setting  my  traps  for  mink  and  raccoon,  I  was  somewhat 
annoyed  by  the  prairie  wolf  taking  the  bait,  but  still  more  by 
the  skunks  getting  into  the  traps.  The  country  at  this  time 
abounded  with  these  animals.-  They  seemed  to  be  nearly  as 
plenty  as  the  minks.  I  have  sometimes  found  as  many  as 
two  or  three  in  my  traps  on  a  morning.  It  was  an  easy 
matter  enough  to  dispatch  one,  but  to  do  it  and  not  get  my 
trap  scented  was  not  so  easy.  (Here  let  me  say,  I  never 
knew  one  caught  in  a  trap  to  discharge  at  all,  until  disturbed 
by  the  approach  of  man.)  After  trying  several  unsuccessful 
plans,  I  hit  upon  one  that  I  thought  would  do  the  business- 
Putting  a  tremendous  charge  of  powder  and  ball  into  my  rifle,. 


152  NARRATIVES. 

I  approached  my  antagonist  as  near  as  I  could  without  draw- 
ing his  fire ;  and  placing  the  muzzle  of  my  rifle  within  three 
feet  of  his  head,  blazed  away,  and  blew  his  head  clean  off.  I 
approached  the  carcass  for  the  purpose  of  taking  off  my  trap, 
(congratulating  myself  on  my  good  success),  when  he  made 
a  sudden  convulsive  movement,  and,  oh  horror !  such  a  dis- 
charge of  the  genuine  article,  no  man  ever  saw  or  smelt ! 
However,  by  a  quick  movement  I  escaped  the  charge  myself, 
but  my  trap,  as  usual,  was  thoroughly  perfumed.  I  soon  had 
an  opportunity  to  try  again,  and  this  time  I  succeeded,  by  the 
following  device.  Watching  my  opportunity  when  the  skunk 
turned  his  eyes  from  me,  I  dealt  him  a  heavy  blow  across  the 
back  with  a  long  club,  and  immediately  loosened  the  trap  from 
off  his  leg.  In  this  way  I  ever  after  managed  to  keep  clear 
from  scent,  with  a  single  exception,  which  occurred  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

In  one  of  my  excursions,  accompanied  by  another  person, 
the  dog  scented  something  under  the  floor  of  an  old  shanty, 
which  we  concluded  must  be  a  mink  ;  so  at  it  we  went  tear- 
ing up  the  floor,  to  give  the  dog  a  chance  to  get  at  the  animal. 
Up  came  one  plank  after  another  in  quick  succession,  when 
all  at  once  the  dog  made  a  tremendous  lunge  right  into  the 
midst  of  a  nest  of  seven  nearly  full  grown  skunks.  In  less 
than  a  minute  the  atmosphere  was  blue  with  the  most  horrible 
stench  ever  encountered  by  human  olfactories.  The  dog  was 
soon  nearly  choked  and  blinded  by  the  showers  of  stifling 
spray  that  met  him  at  every  charge,  and,  for  the  time  be- 
ing, all  were  obliged  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  into  the  open 
air.  But  as  we  were  all  now  fairly  in  for  it,  we  concluded 
to  make  another  charge  and  finish  up  the  work  we  had  so 
enthusiastically  begun  ;  and,  armed  each  with  a  long  club,  we 
returned  to  the  fray,  and,  with  the  help  of  the  dog,  soon 
despatched  the  foe,  and  retreated  to  the  windward  to  get  clear 
of  the  stench.  But  it  was  of  no  use.  I  seemed  to  be  scented 
through  and  through  ;  my  very  breath  seemed  to  be  hot  with 
the  terrible  miasma ;  and  for  several  days  I  could  scarcely 
taste  or  smell  any  thing  but  skunk.  This  was  my  most  seri- 
ous encounter  with  the  skunk  family,  though  I  continued  to 


THACKER'S  EXCURSIONS.  153 

be  annoyed  by  their  getting  into  my  traps ;  and  once,  at  the 
suggestion  of  a  fur-dealer  that  their  skins  were  worth  fifty 
cents  apiece,  undertook  the  job  of  saving  a  lot ;  but  after 
skinning  five,  gave  up  the  business  in  disgust. 

My  next  excursion  was  a  short  but  rather  exciting  one.  In 
consequence  of  a  slight  thaw  a  day  or  two  previous  to  my 
setting  out,  the  skating  on  the  river  was  nearly  spoiled.  I 
was  therefore  obliged  to  travel  most  of  the  way  on  land, 
and  on  foot,  taking  nearly  all  day  to  get  to  my  place  of  des- 
tination. I  put  up  for  the  night  at  a  tavern  a  mile  or  two 
from  the  part  of  the  marsh  where  I  intended  to  trap,  which 
was  at  the  end  opposite  to  the  theatre  of  my  previous  excur- 
sions, and  near  the  Oplain  River.  The  next  morning,  after 
breakfast,  I  started  out  for  the  hunt,  and,  on  arriving  at  the 
marsh,  to  my  surprise  not  a  muskrat  house  could  be  seen,  with 
the  exception  of  the  very  tops  of  three  or  four.  The  rest 
were  all  under  water  and  the  water  frozen  over.  At  first 
I  was  unable  to  divine  the  cause  of  this  unusual  rise  in  the 
water;  but  subsequently  ascertained  that  an  ice-dam  had 
formed  in  the  river  three  fourths  of  a  mile  below,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  above,  and  had  set  the 
water  back  over  this  part  of  the  marsh  to  the  depth  of  nearly 
four  feet.  The  muskrats  were  completely  drowned  out ;  and 
I  now  saw  them  huddled  together  in  numerous  squads  upon 
the  newly-formed  ice  all  over  the  marsh,  having  already 
brought  up  portions  of  their  submerged  dwellings,  with  which 
they  had  built  up  slight  walls  to  shelter  themselves  from  the 
cold  northwest  wind. 

This  was  an  exciting  scene  to  the  trapper  —  a  multitude 
of  his  game  in  full  view !  I  became  almost  nervous  with  ex- 
citement. But  how  to  get  at  them  was  the  question.  On 
going  down  to  the  water,  I  found  it  scarcely  frozen  along  the 
shore,  though  it  looked  firmer  farther  out.  To  be  sure  I 
could  reach  many  of  the  muskrats  with  my  rifle ;  but  what 
was  the  use,  if  I  could  not  get  them  after  I  had  killed  them  ? 
However,  something  must  be  done.  I  could  n't  stand  this 
sight  anyhow.  I  set  about  devising  some  plan  by  which  I 
might  reach  the  game  in  person.  A  half  dozen  plans  were 


154  NARRATIVES. 

presented  to  my  mind  in  as  many  minutes.  One  plan  was  to 
place  a  board  on  the  ice,  get  on  it,  and  shove  myself  along  by 
placing  the  point  of  my  sharp  spear  on  the  ice  ;  but,  on  fur- 
ther consideration,  I  concluded  this  would  be  too  slow  an 
operation.  If  I  succeeded  in  getting  out  on  the  ice,  the  rats 
could  easily  keep  out  of  my  way,  as  I  should  not  be  able  to 
leave  my  board.  Another  plan  was  to  fasten  a  piece  of  board 
a  foot  square  to  each  foot ;  but,  on  further  thought,  this  plan 
was  also  abandoned  as  being  unsafe.  Although  the  water  did 
not  exceed  four  feet  in  depth  down  to  the  old  ice,  yet,  in  case 
I  broke  through,  the  boards  might  operate  to  keep  my  heels 
up  and  my  head  down.  I  now  determined  to  test  the  real 
strength  of  the  ice  ;  and,  procuring  a  piece  of  slab  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  long,  I  shoved  it  off  on  the  ice.  Leaving  one 
end  resting  on  the  shore  and  walking  out  on  this,  I  stepped 
off  upon  the  ice.  It  barely  held  my  weight,  and  soon  began 
to  settle,  so  that  the  water  came  upon  the  ice.  However,  I 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  I  could  get  upon  the  ice  with 
my  skates  on  and  keep  constantly  under  pretty  good  headway, 
it  would  hold  me  up.  Stripping  off  all  extra  clothing,  and 
laying  aside  every  unnecessary  weight,  I  strapped  on  my 
skates,  and,  with  spear  in  hand,  launched  forth  in  pursuit  of 
the  game.  The  ice  bent  and  waved  before  me  ;  but  I  glided 
swiftly  on,  and  in  less  than  a  minute  was  among  the  musk- 
rats. 

I  now  discovered  that  the  rats  kept  a  hole  open  through  the 
ice,  right  above  their  house  ;  and,  before  I  got  within  striking 
distance,  they  dove  into  the  water  and  disappeared.  I  could 
hear  them  snuffing  up  against  the  ice,  but  could  not  see  them 
on  account  of  a  slight  sprinkling  of  snow  which  covered  the 
ice.  As  soon  as  I  left  for  another  place,  they  would  come  up 
again  through  the  holes  on  the  ice.  I  saw  that,  in  order  to 
get  a  chance  to  strike  them,  I  must  wait  at  the  holes  for  them 
to  return  for  a  fresh  supply  of  air.  This  I  found  rather 
tedious,  as  I  was  obliged  to  keep  constantly  in  motion,  run- 
ning in  a  circuit  around  the  hole,  on  account  of  the  weakness 
of  the  ice.  In  this  way  I  would  have  to  wait  several  minutes, 
and,  when  one  did  return  to  breathe,  he  was  so  very  quick  I 


THACKER'S  EXCURSIONS.  155 

found  it  difficult  to  hit  him  ;  and  I  also  found,  where  the  holes 
were  not  a  great  way  apart,  that  when  I  went  to  one  hole  the 
rats  would  dive  and  swim  to  another.  This  would  not  do.  I 
must  try  another  expedient ;  and,  returning  to  the  shore,  I 
took  from  my  knapsack  a  dozen  steel-traps  and  a  handful  of 
willow  sticks,  threw  them  on  the  ice,  and  then  started  back. 
Picking  up  in  my  course  as  many  traps  and  sticks  as  I  could 
carry  without  increasing  my  weight  too  much,  I  distributed 
them  around  the  holes.  And  now  lively  work  commenced. 
Taking  a  trap  and  stick  in  my  hand,  while  under  headway,  I 
set  the  trap,  slipped  the  willow  stick  through  the  ring  of  the 
chain,  dropped  it  on  the  ice,  placed  the  trap  in  the  little 
cuddy  where  the  rats  huddled  together,  and  passed  on  to  the 
next,  scarcely  making  a  stop.  This  plan  was  a  successful 
one.  Frequently,  before  I  reached  the  next  hole,  a  rat  would 
be  caught  in  the  trap  I  had  just  left,  and,  diving  into  the 
water,  would  be  brought  up  at  the  length  of  the  chain  by  the 
stick  sliding  across  the  hole,  and  in  this  condition  would  soon 
drown  himself.  I  now  had  as  much  business  as  I  could  attend 
to,  taking  out  the  game,  re-setting  my  dozen  traps,  carrying 
the  game  to  the  land,  &c.  You  may  be  sure  I  played  back 
and  forth  in  a  lively  manner.  I  however  discovered  that  the 
ice  became  much  weakened  by  passing  over  it  several  times. 
Consequently  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  moving  to  new 
places  occasionally,  to  avoid  breaking  through.  In  fact,  I 
found  there  was  only  a  small  part  of  the  marsh  where  the  ice 
was  sufficiently  strong  to  hold  me  up  at  all ;  and  the  weather, 
moderating  after  the  middle  of  the  day,  weakened  the  ice  so 
much  that  I  fell  through  several  times,  getting  my  clothes 
wet  and  boots  full  of  water  ;  which  so  much  increased  my 
weight  that  I  was  soon  obliged  to  abandon  the  field  altogether. 
I  had,  however,  by  this  time  secured  a  good  pile  of  rats,  and, 
on  the  whole,  had  had  one  of  the  most  exciting  day's  sport  I 
ever  enjoyed. 

The  weather  now  continued  to  moderate,  and  there  were 
evident  signs  of  the  breaking  up  of  winter,  and  the  opening 
of  spring.  In  two  or  three  days  from  this  time,  wild  clucks 
and  geese  began  to  gather  about  the  marshes.  I  now  began 


156  NARRATIVES. 

active  preparations  for  a  spring's  campaign  of  trapping.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  two  small  trapping  boats  had  been  made,  and 
a  tent,  camp-kettles,  and  other  " fixings"  had  been  got  in 
readiness  ;  and  on  about  the  twentieth  of  February,  in  com- 
pany with  E ,  I  set  out.  We  launched  our  little  crafts 

and  commenced  the  campaign  by  scattering  over  the  marsh 
one  hundred  and  ten  steel-traps,  with  open  jaws,  ready  for 
the  fur-clad  inhabitants.  The  weather  being  favorable  and 
the  water  steady,  we  made  havoc  among  the  muskrats  and 
minks ;  and  as  this  was  a  noted  place  for  game,  especially  for 
muskrat,  mink,  and  raccoon,  we  soon  had  competition  in  the 
business.  In  the  course  of  three  or  four  days,  three  other 
trappers  stopped  in  the  same  vicinity,  and  commenced  opera- 
tions. But  as  they  were  strangers  from  a  distance,  we  had 
decidedly  the  advantage,  as  we  understood  the  ground,  having 
previously  pretty  thoroughly  reconnoitered  the  marshes  in  this 
section.  The  game  being  plenty,  we  found  work  enough  to 
keep  us  busy,  and  for  several  succeeding  days  caught  more 
rats  than  we  could  find  time  through  the  day  to  skin. 

However,  our  good  success  was  of  comparatively  short  dur- 
ation. In  the  course  often  or  fifteen  days,  we  found  ourselves 
confronted  by  a  pretty  serious  difficulty  in  the  way  of  success- 
ful operations.  As  the  previous  summer  had  been  remarkable 
for  its  long  continuous  rains  and  great  flood,  we  now  had  the 
opposite  state  of  things  —  continuous  dry  weather  ;  and  having 
had  scarcely  any  rain  the  fall  previous,  nor  snow  during  the 
winter,  spring  found  the  water  in  the  rivers  and  marshes 
unusually  low.  As  the  weather  continued  fair,  the  March 
winds  dried  up  the  marshes  so  fast,  that  we  soon  found  it  dif- 
ficult to  get  around  with  our  boats,  and  finally  were  obliged  to 
leave  them  altogether  and  take  to  the  rivers,  in  order  to  con- 
tinue our  sport.  We  now  found  our  chance  for  sport  much 
reduced.  The  high  water  the  previous  spring  and  summer, 
overflowing  the  river-banks  for  so  long  a  time,  either  prevent- 
ed the  rats  breeding,  or  drowned  their  young,  so  that  we  found 
the  game  rather  scarce.  We  however  ascended  the  Oplain 
River  some  twenty  or  thirty  miles.  Our  way  was  to  string 
our  traps  along  the  banks,  three  or  four  miles  at  a  setting,  and 


THACKER'S  EXCURSIONS.  157 

then  return  to  camp.  The  next  day  we  would  overhaul  and 
re-set,  if  we  found  the  game  plenty  enough  to  warrant  it. 
If  not,  we  would  take  up  the  traps  and  make  another  stretch, 
and  so  on. 

On  returning  several  days  subsequently  to  our  old  hunting- 
grounds,  we  found  the  muskrats  had  somewhat  recovered 
from  the  fright  we  had  given  them  by  our  sudden  and  terrible 
onslaught,  and  had  returned  from  the  inaccessible  parts  of  the 
marsh  to  which  they  had  fled  for  refuge,  and  we  made  several 
more  successful  sets. 

The  weather  had  now  become  mild,  and  the  marshes  liter- 
ally swarmed  with  ducks,  and  geese,  and  other  water-fowl. 
Any  one  not  familiar  with  this  section  of  country  can  have 
no  idea  of  the  numbers  of  water-fowl  that  gather  about  these 
lakes  and  marshes  in  the  spring  and  fall  of  the  year.  As  we 
moved  about  in  our  little  boats  among  the  tall  reeds  and  flags 
of  the  marsh,  our  fire-arms  were  always  at  hand,  ready  to 
bring  down  a  duck  or  a  goose  that  happened  to  pass  within 
reach.  We  fared  sumptuously  every  day.  Our  daily  bill  of 
fare  consisted  of  roast  goose,  roast  duck,  prairie  chicken,  plov- 
er, pike,  bass,  cat-fish,  bull-heads,  &c.,  &c.,  together  with 
coffee,  hard  biscuit,  butter,  and  occasionally  a  meal  of  duck 
and  goose  eggs.  This  was  what  we  called  high  living ;  and 
as  we  seldom  found  time  for  more  than  two  meals  a  day,  we 
were  prepared  to  dispatch  them  with  a  relish  that  no  one  but 
a  trapper  can  realize. 

E did  not  seem  to  enter  into  the  business  with  as  much 

enthusiasm  as  myself,  and  having  a  family  in  the  city,  fre- 
quently found  occasion  to  go  home,  ana  sometimes  staid  away 
two  or  three  days.  This  made  the  work  not  quite  so  pleasant 
for  me,  as  I  enjoyed  the  sport  much  better  when  we  were  to- 
gether. However,  I  got  along  very  well  ;  and  the  croaking 
of  frogs,  the  peeping  of  lizards,  quacking  of  ducks  and  geese, 
crowing  of  prairie  chickens,  the  loud  cries  of  the  great  sand- 
hill cranes,  and  the  almost  incessant  howling  and  yelping  of 
prairie  wolves,  were  all  music  to  my  ears.  On  the  whole,  I 
enjoyed  the  situation  exceedingly. 

One  day  as  I  was  pushing  my  little  boat  along  through  the 


NARRATIVES. 

tall  reeds,  I  saw  at  a  distance  something  unusual  on  the  top 
of  a  muskrat  house.  As  it  was  lying  flat,  almost  hidden  from 
view,  I  at  first  sight  took  it  to  be  an  otter,  as  we  had  killed 
one  some  time  previous  near  the  same  place.  As  usual  at 
the  sight  of  game,  my  rifle  was  quick  as  thought  brought  to 
bear,  and  away  sped  the  bullet,  and  over  tumbled  a  large  wild 
goose,  making  a  great  splashing  as  she  fell  into  the  water. 
On  examination  I  found  she  had  a  nest  of  seven  eggs,  all 
fresh.  The  goose  weighed  fourteen  pounds  and  a  half.  The 
same  day  I  found  another  nest  with  several  eggs,  and  took 
them  to  a  farmer  who  was  anxious  to  get  them  to  hatch  "  at 
the  halves."  He  placed  the  eggs  under  a  hen  ;  but  a  few 
days  before  they  were  ready  to  hatch,  my  ever-present  ene- 
my, the  skunk,  ate  up  hen,  eggs,  and  all,  to  the  great  sorrow 
and  indignation  of  the  farmer.  He  said  the  young  geese 
would  have  been  worth  five  dollars  a  pair. 

The  weather  still  continued  dry,  and  as  we  did  not  find 
game  very  plenty  in  the  rivers,  we  concluded  to  wind  up  the 
trapping  business,  after  having  spent  about  six  weeks  in  steady 
employment.  We  now  collected  our  furs,  and  found  we  had 
caught  seven  hundred  muskrats,  sixty  minks,  a  number  of 
raccoons,  and  one  otter  ;  for  which  we  found  a  ready  market 
at  good  prices.  Thus  ended  my  first,  and  most  interesting 
trapping  campaign. 


AN  AMATEUR  IN   THE   NORTH  WOODS. 

BY  CHARLES   S.  JOSLYN.* 


IT  was  a  pleasant  June  evening  when  I  first  approached 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  great  New  York  wilderness.  I 
had  been  an  amateur  sportsman  from  my  earliest  youth  ;  and 
my  fondness  for  the  woods  was,  and  has  always  been,  quite 
inexpugnable.  My  feelings,  therefore,  when  I  came  in  full 
view  of  the  long,  dark  line  of  primitive  forest  in  the  distance, 
were  so  exhilarating  as  to  require  some  vent. 

"  Farewell,  vain  world !  "  said  I,  unconsciously  breaking 
into  a  sort  of  monologue  ;  "  adieu  to  the  pomp  and  glitter  and 
artificiality  of  the  thing  they  call  society !  Welcome,  Nature, 
pure  and  unadulterated,  fresh  from  the  hand  of  the  Creator !  " 

I  was  here  interrupted  by  a  smothered  laugh  from  my  com- 
panion, who  had  overheard  the  close  of  this  rhapsody,  which, 
in  the  exuberance  of  my  feelings,  I  had  uttered  in  a  more 
elevated  tone.  Sewall  Newhouse  was  a  practiced  woodsman, 
keen  and  shrewd,  and  well  versed  in  the  lore  of  the  forest, 
but  without  much  imagination  or  poetry  in  his  composition. 

"  Wait  awhile,"  said  he,  in  his  peculiar,  dry  way.  "  Don't 
"be  in  a  hurry  about  these  things.  Perhaps  you  will  find 
some  things  in  '  John  Brown's  Tract '  that  you  don't  calcu- 
late on.  Besides,  as  it  is  getting  dark,  and  we  are  several 
miles  from  the  woods,  we  shall  have  to  get  one  more  night's 
lodging  out  of  '  society,'  as  you  call  it,  before  we  say  good 
by  to  it." 

The  force  of  the  latter  consideration  was  quite  irresistible, 
and  had  the  immediate  effect  to  postpone  my  enthusiasm  for 
the  time. 

*  A  member  of  the  Oneida  Community. 


160  NARRATIVES 

It  was  after  nightfall,  when  we  succeeded  in  obtaining  a 
lodging  in  the  loft  of  a  dilapidated  farm-house,  whose  owner 
reluctantly  consented  to  receive  us.  The  accommodations 
were  none  of  the  choicest,  and,  accustomed  as  I  was  to  clean 
sheets,  soft  beds,  and  other  amenities  of  civilization,  the  gen- 
eral slovenliness  of  our  dormitory,  and  the  unyielding  nature 
of  our  couch,  were  not  at  all  conducive  to  repose.  New- 
house,  however,  manifested  an  exemplary  stoicism,  and  con- 
soled me  with  the  assurance  that  this  was  but  a  foretaste  of 
what  was  in  store  for  us. 

The  meagre  amount  of  sleep  which  I  enjoyed,  and  the 
general  uncomfortableness  of  my  surroundings,  were  favor- 
able to  early  rising ;  and  so  we  began  our  march  soon  after 
daylight  the  next  morning.  Our  baggage  had  been  sent 
ahead  on  horseback,  so  that  we  had  but  our  guns  to  carry  ; 
and  in  the  freshness  of  early  morning,  the  hour's  walk  which 
brought  us  to  the  border  of  the  woods  seemed  a  brief  one. 
A  fence  built  directly  across  our  path  announced  that  we  had 
reached  the  verge  of  civilization  ;  and  climbing  this,  in  another 
moment  we  were  within  the  precincts  of  the  forest. 

My  first  sensation  was  that  of  sublimity.  An  intense  thrill 
of  delight  pervaded  my  whole  being,  and  I  almost  involun- 
tarily commenced  repeating  the  opening  stanzas  of  "  Evan- 
geline  :  " 

"  This  is  the  forest  primeval,"  &c. 

My  second  sensation,  which  almost  instantly  dissipated  the 
first,  was  that  of  mosquitoes  —  not  the  comparatively  mild 
and  inoffensive  insect  of  polite  society,  but  the  savage  and 
blood-thirsty  vampire  of  the  North  Woods.  Most  of  us  have 
had  experience  with  mosquitoes,  and  are  more  or  less  ac- 
quainted with  the  nature  of  the  insect ;  but  the  mosquito  of 
civilization  no  more  resembles  the  mosquito  of  John  Brown's 
Tract,  than  the  bear  trained  to  waltz  to  the  music  of  the 
hurdy-gurdy  resembles  the  untamed  grizzly  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada. 

But  thanks  to  the  providence  of  my  companion,  help  was 
at  hand.  Mosquitoes  have  an  invincible  repugnance  to  cer- 
tain vegetable  scents,  the  chief  among  which  is,  perhaps,  that 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS.          161 

of  pennyroyal.  To  prepare  it  for  use,  it  is  necessary  to  melt 
a  certain  quantity  of  lard,  and  add  to  it  in  its  liquid  state 
enough  of  the  essence  to  infuse  the  mass  with  a  strong  scent. 
This  compound,  when  cool,  may  be  carried  in  the  pocket  in  a 
tin  box,  and  is  an  effectual  preventive  against  the  attacks 
of  nearly  every  kind  of  insect  peculiar  to  the  American 
woods. 

With  this  composition  I  plentifully  anointed  every  visible 
portion  of  my  body.  Face,  hands,  ears,  neck,  every  inch  of 
surface  which  was  liable  to  attack,  was  thoroughly  lubricated, 
till  I  looked  like  an  Esquimau  just  arisen  from  his  dinner  of 
seal's  blubber  and  train-oil.  The  remedy,  however,  was  ef- 
fectual. It  afforded  me  infinite  satisfaction  to  see  the  impo- 
tent rage  with  which  my  late  tormentors  whirled  round  and 
round  my  head,  in  bewildering  circles,  never  daring,  however, 
to  approach  within  reach  of  the  aroma  of  this  potent  oint- 
ment. I  anointed  my  face  and  neck  twice  or  thrice  a  day, 
and  found  the  application  sufficient.  The  hands,  owing  to 
the  necessity  of  use,  require  to  be  anointed  about  once  an 
hour,  to  render  them  absolutely  invulnerable.  I  found  this 
somewhat  tiresome,  and  subsequently  adopted  a  pair  of  light 
buckskin  gloves,  which  were  not  burdensome,  and  proved  en- 
tirely mosquito  proof. 

In  one  of  my  excursions  I  met  a  young  man  who  had  in- 
cautiously ventured  into  the  woods  without  adequate  protec- 
tion against  mosquitoes.  The  blood  was  streaming  from  his 
face,  where  he  had  been  bitten,  and  his  general  aspect  was  so 
forlorn  that  I  was  moved  to  pity.  I  gave  him  some  ointment 
with  directions  how  to  use  it,  and  left  him.  When  I  met  him 
a  few  hours  afterward,  his  first  salutation  was :  "  Mister, 
you  've  saved  my  life."  The  backwoodsmen  become  so  ac- 
customed to  these  insects,  that  they  pay  but  little  attention  to 
them,  in  most  cases  using  no  defense  against  them.  It  is 
said  that  a  mosquito  will  not  bite  an  old  hunter ;  and  it  is 
certain  that  after  one  has  been  in  the  woods  a  short  time, 
these  insects  will  pay  much  less  attention  to  him  than  to  a 
new-comer. 

Mosquitoes  however  are  not  the  only  troublesome  insect  in 


162  NARRATIVES. 

the  woods.  A  small,  black  gnat,  which  the  old  inhabitants 
term  a  "  punkey,"  bears  away  the  palm  from  the  mosquito. 
As  these  insects  are  only  about  one  fourth  as  large  as  mos- 
quitoes, they  can  penetrate  the  meshes  of  any  mosquito-net ; 
And  when  once  they  get  scent  of  you,  they  will  leave  no  por- 
tion of  your  body  unexplored.  The  bite  of  these  gnats  is 
much  worse  than  that  of  the  mosquito.  If  you  are  bitten  by 
the  latter  insect,  and  you  do  not  unnecessarily  irritate  the 
wound,  the  effect  is  not  visible  for  any  great  length  of  time 
afterward  ;  but  the  bite  of  these  gnats  results,  first  in  a  deep 
crimson  blotch  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  half  dime,  and 
then  in  an  open  sore,  which  in  some  cases  will  last  for  weeks. 
The  favorite  method  of  protection  against  these  insects  in  use 
in  the  North  Woods,  is,  to  build  a  fire  with  some  damp  mate- 
rial which  will  produce  a  dense  smoke,  plant  yourself  reso- 
lutely where  the  smoke  is  thickes-t,  and  take  your  chance  of 
being  smothered,  as  a  choice  of  evils.  Neither  mosquitoes 
nor  gnats  can  endure  smoke  ;  and  this  fact  is  taken  advantage 
of  by  families  living  near  the  edge  of  the  forest,  who,  during 
warm  weather,  keep  a  pan  of  embers  continually  smouldering 
at  the  doors  of  their  houses,  by  way  of  self-defense. 

Eight  or  ten  minutes  of  brisk  walking  brought  us  to  a  small 
clearing,  wherein  an  enterprising  pioneer  had  constructed  a 
/ough  dwelling,  and  ministered  thence  to  the  wants  and  ne- 
cessities of  incoming  and  outgoing  travellers.  The  principal 
of  these  wants,  I  soon  found,  was  whiskey.  It  is  difficult  for 
me  to  do  adequate  justice  to  this  beverage.  I  am  undecided, 
to  this  day,  which  of  these  two  characteristic  institutions  of 
the  North  Woods  is  the  worst,  the  whiskey  or  the  mosquitoes. 
The  rule  is,  I  believe,  that  any  one  who  can  drink  the  whiskey 
can  endure  the  mosquitoes  ;  and,  vice  versa,  any  one  who  can 
endure  the  mosquitoes  can  drink  the  whiskey.  Nevertheless, 
the  article  is  in  great  demand,  and  indeed  it  seemed  to  be  the 
common  understanding  that  it  was  well-nigh  impossible  to 
undergo  a  two  or  three  weeks'  campaign  in  the  woods  with- 
out it. 

It  was  eleven  miles,  said  our  informants,  to  our  next  stop- 
ping-place ;  and  on  we  pushed,  full  of  courageous  intent,  and 

r 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS.          163 

bidding  defiance  to  the  perils  and  hardships  of  the  wilderness. 
But  the  miles  were  unconscionably  long.  I  had  prided  my- 
self somewhat  on  my  ability  as  a  pedestrian,  and  had  thought 
lightly  of  the  eleven  miles  before  us  ;  but  by  the  time  we  had 
accomplished  one  half  of  them,  it  seemed  to  me  that  each  mile 
was  a  league  in  length.  And  then  the  path  —  how  shall  I 
describe  it  ?  I  had  thought  the  road  by  which  we  had  reached 
the  clearing  in  our  rear  as  bad  as  road  could  be  ;  but  this  path 
which  we  were  now  following  was  yet  worse.  If  the  reader 
will  imagine  an  almost  unlimited  amount  of  logs,  rocks,  mud, 
stumps,  and  mosquitoes,  mixed  together  hap-hazard,  and  dis- 
tributed miscellaneously  along  a  line  eleven  miles  in  length, 
he  will  by  this  means  obtain  a  possible  conception  of  the  road 
on  which  we  plodded  all  day. 

Thanks  to  a  good  bed,  and  a  sound  night's  sleep,  I  rose  on 
the  ensuing  morning  with  no  diminution  of  spirits,  and  with 
my  physical  condition  quite  unimpaired.  A  little  stiffness  in 
the  joints  of  the  hips  and  knees  was  all  the  trace  which  re- 
mained of  my  yesterday's  fatigue  ;  and  even  that  wore  away 
with  the  first  hour's  exercise. 

At  the  outlet  of  the  long  chain  of  lakes  which  stretches  far 
into  the  heart  of  this  region,  we  were  obliged  to  wait  a  few 
hours  for  the  arrival  of  the  boat  which  we  had  engaged,  and 
which  was  absent  on  the  upper  lakes.  The  time  of  our  delay 
was  profitably  employed  in  taking  a  fine  string  of  speckled 
trout  from  the  stream,  which  here  debouches  from  the  lower 
extremity  of  the  lake.  There  are  few  sensations  in  nature 
more  satisfactory  than  the  gentle  titillation  of  the  wrist  and 
elbow,  ensuing  from  the  bite  of  a  fine  trout ;  and  when  the 
struggle  is  over  and  you  have  him  safe  in  your  basket,  though 
you  are  not  indued  with  the  poetic  temperament,  and  may 
not  have  an  atom  of  sentiment  in  your  organization,  you  can 
hardly  suppress  a  sensation  of  regret  at  having  destroyed  a 
creature  of  such  rare  beauty. 

So  at  least,  I  think,  as  I  fill  my  basket ;  but  Newhouse,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  does  not  share  in  my  weakness.  His  ali- 
mentive  instincts  are  stronger  than  his  idealic ;  and  while  I  am 
half  disposed  to  sentimentalize  over  our  prey,  he  extricates  a 

t 


164  NARRATIVES. 

frying-pan  from  our  luggage,  and  soon  tempts  my  olfactories 
with  a  savory  odor,  of  which,  sooth  to  say,  with  my  appetite 
sharpened  by  exercise  and  abstinence,  I  am  in  no  wise  unap- 
preciative. 

By  the  time  we  had  finished  our  repast,  our  boat  had  ar- 
rived ;  and  after  securely  packing  our  luggage  in  the  bow  and 
stern,  and  under  the  seats,  we  pushed  off  from  shore,  and 
directed  our  course  toward  the  upper  lakes. 

The  lakes  of  the  North  Woods  are  a  peculiar  feature  of  the 
region.  A  chain  of  small  and  picturesque  sheets  of  water, 
eight  in  number,  and  connected  with  each  other  by  shallow 
channels,  extends  far  into  the  interior  of  the  wilderness. 
These  lakes  are  invaluable  in  the  facilities  they  afford  to  hunt- 
ers and  trappers  and  others,  wishing  to  penetrate  the  heart  of 
the  tract ;  as  the  transportation  of  one's  self  and  baggage  is 
rendered  comparatively  easy,  by  means  of  boats.  Advent- 
urers in  this  region  can  procure  a  boat  at  the  outlet  of  the 
lower  lake,  and  journey  upward  at  their  leisure  till  they  find 
a  suitable  place  for  a  camp.  Those  who  have  walked  from 
the  outside  world  to  the  landing,  will  appreciate  the  value  of 
this  arrangement,  especially  if  they  have  transported  their 
baggage  thither  on  their  own  shoulders. 

The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close  when  we  turned  the  bow 
of  our  boat  to  the  shore,  and  landed  near  the  foot  of  lake 
No.  4  of  the  series.  In  our  search  after  a  proper  location  for 
our  camp,  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  find  an  unoccupied 
"  shanty  "  of  the  first  quality,  of  which  we  lost  no  time  in 
taking  possession. 

A  "  shanty  "  proper  is  an  institution  peculiar  to  the  woods. 
The  most  common  variety,  which  the  woodsmen  erect  for 
temporary  use,  is  made  of  spruce  bark,  carefully  peeled,  so  as 
to  preserve  the  full  width,  and  opened  flat  like  a  mammoth 
shingle.  A  low  frame-work  of  poles  is  then  constructed,  and 
this  bark  is  so  disposed  thereupon  as  to  form  a  dwelling  which 
is  nearly  impervious  to  rain.  One  side  of  the  edifice,  how- 
ever, is  always  left  open,  and  in  front  of  this  the  fire  is  built, 
which  serves  to  warm  the  occupants  in  cool  weather.  The 
more  aspiring  style  of  shanty,  to  which  ours  belonged,  is  built 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS.          165 

of  logs,  halved  together  at  the  ends,  like  a  log  house ;  the 
interstices  filled  with  clay  or  moss,  and  the  roof  covered  with 
bark  or  split  logs.  These  are  intended  for  more  permanent 
use,  and  are  built  by  those  who  regularly  frequent  certain 
localities  in  the  woods. 

Night  drew  on.  We  had  barely  time  to  settle  ourselves  in 
our  new  habitation,  build  our  fire,  and  eat  our  supper,  before 
darkness  overtook  us,  and  we  prepared  for  bed.  Our  couch 
was  of  the  most  primitive  character.  A  pile  of  green  hem- 
lock boughs,  laid  upon  the  bare  earth,  constituted  both  bed 
and  bedstead,  sheets  and  coverlets.  The  only  addition  to 
the  rather  meagre  simplicity  of  this  arrangement  was  a  light 
woolen  blanket,  for  use  in  an  unusually  cool  night.  New- 
house,  indeed,  had  provided  himself  with  an  enormous  bag,  a 
sort  of  cul  de  sac  of  Canton  flannel,  into  which  he  crept  at 
night  very  much  as  a  woodchuck  ensconces  himself  in  his 
hole.  But  I  disdained  all  such  artificial  appliances.  Having 
turned  woodsman,  I  resolved  to  make  a  clean  thing  of  it ;  and 
throwing  myself  upon  my  rude  couch,  with  a  bag  of  Indian 
meal  for  a  pillow,  in  five  minutes  I  was  sleeping  as  sound  as 
though  reposing  on  the  downiest  of  beds,  and  with  the  softest 
of  pillows. 

My  repose,  however,  was  not  destined  to  be  uninterrupted. 
At  midnight  the  chilliness  of  the  air  awoke  me.  I  drew  my 
blanket  closer  around  me  and  tried  to  compose  myself  to  sleep, 
but  in  vain.  The  novelty  of  my  situation  and  the  unusual 
sounds  which  attracted  my  attention  were  not  at  all  favorable 
to  slumber.  I  could  hear  the  distant  howling  of  wolves  on 
the  sides  of  the  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which  we  were  encamped. 
Then,  as  I  listened,  I  heard  the  underbrush  crackle,  and 
heavy  footsteps  tramped  though  the  thicket  but  a  few  feet 
from  my  head,  .in  the  rear  of  the  hut.  What  was  it?  A 
bear?  or  panther?  or  wolf?  All  these  animals  abound  in 
the  North  Woods,  and  the  tread  was  too  heavy  to  have  been 
made  by  a  beast  of  less  magnitude.  I  reached  for  my  rifle, 
which  stood  at  my  head,  and  peered  steadfastly  out  into  the 
darkness,  but  could  distinguish  nothing.  Meanwhile  the  foot- 
steps had  died  away  in  the  distance,  and  my  nocturnal  visitant 


166  NARRATIVES. 

had  retreated,  without  deigning  to  reveal  himself.  Having 
by  this  time  become  pretty  thoroughly  awakened,  I  sprang  up, 
raked  together  the  decaying  embers  of  our  last  night's  fire, 
piled  on  a  quantity  of  brush  and  logs,  which  created  a  genial 
blaze,  warming  every  corner  of  our  rude  habitation ;  then, 
enveloping  myself  in  my  blanket,  I  slept  soundly  till  awak- 
ened by  the  first  beams  of  the  morning  sun.  Such  was  my 
first  night  in  the  woods. 

The  days  passed  pleasantly  in  this  sylvan  retreat.  When 
we  were  tired  of  our  locality,  it  was  a  comparatively  easy 
operation  to  effect  a  "  change  of  base."  A  half  hour  at  any 
time  sufficed  to  transfer  our  effects  from  our  habitation  to  our 
boat,  and  another  half  hour  was  amply  sufficient  to  establish 
our  cuisine  and  lodging  in  any  locality  to  which  we  chose  to 
migrate.  Space  and  time  would  fail  me  were  I  to  attempt  to 
describe  in  detail  our  multifarious  adventures  in  search  of 
game  and  trout ;  how  I  rowed  up  and  down  the  lakes  trolling 
for  salmon-trout,  till  the  four  broad  blisters  on  my  right  palm, 
and  the  three  ditto  on  my  left,  rendered  ample  testimony  to 
my  proficiency  as  an  oarsman  ;  and  how  at  last,  at  the  close 
of  one  pleasant  day,  we  found  ourselves  securely  encamped  on 
a  rocky  peninsula  extending  for  a  mile  or  two  out  into  the 
clear  waters  of  Moose  Lake. 

Moose  Lake  is  an  isolated  but  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  ly- 
ing a  mile  or  two  aside  from  the  chain  of  lakes  oovwhich  we 
had  hitherto  been  located.  This  lake  is  famed  for  the  abun- 
dance and  superior  quality  of  its  trout ;  and  I  was  not  slow 
in  testing  the  validity  of  its  reputation  in  this  respect,  by 
catching  a  fine  mess  of  speckled  trout  for  breakfast  on  the 
morning  after  our  arrival,  before  Newhouse  had  emerged  from 
his  bag  of  Canton  flannel.  But  as  salmon  and  not  speckled 
trout  were  the  principal  objects  of  our  labors,  we  prepared  at 
once  for  taking  them  scientifically.  And  lest  there  should  be 
some  among  my  readers  who  do  not  clearly  apprehend  the 
distinction  between  the  two,  I  will  devote  a  paragraph  or  two 
to  their  enlightenment. 

So  few  are  unacquainted  with  the  common  brook  or 
speckled  trout,  that  any  description  of  this  superb  fish  will 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH   WOODS.          167 

perhaps  be  superfluous.  The  salmon  differs  from  the  speckled 
trout  in  being  more  slender  in  form,  and  lighter-colored  ;  his 
flesh  rarely  assuming  so  deep  and  rich  a  hue  as  that  of  the 
latter,  and  his  spots  being  more  dull.  The  still,  deep  water 
of  these  wild  lakes  is  his  favorite  habitat,  and  there  he  often 
grows  to  the  weight  of  forty  or  fifty  pounds,  while  the  speckled 
trout  is  rarely  found  in  water  of  any  considerable  depth.  The 
bite  of  the  salmon,  too,  is  materially  different  from  that  of  the 
speckled  trout.  The  latter  announces  his  presence  by  a  sharp, 
eager  nibble ;  while  the  salmon  bites  with  a  sullen,  clogged 
jerk,  very  much  like  that  of  a  perch,  cat-fish,  or  Oswego  bass. 
His  bite,  however,  is  very  sure,  and  a  practiced  fisherman 
will  seldom  lose  the  fish  that  once  takes  his  bait. 

The  most  effective  method  of  capturing  the  salmon-trout 
with  a  hook,  is,  to  station  a  number  of  buoys  in  eligible  local- 
ities, and,  previous  to  fishing,  bait  them  liberally  with  small 
fish  chopped  into  pieces  as  large  as  the  end  of  one's  finger. 
The  salmon,  having  obtained  a  taste  of  the  bait,  will  haunt 
the  place  for  days  afterward  ;  and  by  baiting  the  buoys  two 
or  three  times  a  day,  the  fisherman  will  often  obtain  six  or 
eight  fish  from  a  buoy  at  a  single  visit,  weighing  from  one  to 
five  pounds  each.  If  small  fish  for  bait  are  scarce,  as  is  often 
the  case,  the  buoys  can  be  baited  with  the  inwards  of  the 
trout  themselves,  cut  into  small  pieces  with  a  hatchet  on  the 
bottom  ofgfhe  boat. 

One  pound  is  about  the  minimum  size  of  the  salmon-trout 
as- they  are  taken  in  the  northern  lakes  ;  and  very  few  smaller 
are  caught.  When  it  is  taken  into  consideration  that  a  single 
person  can  manage  ten  or  twelve  buoys  with  a  good  degree 
of  success,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  method  of  fishing  can  easily 
be  made  profitable  as  well  as  pleasurable,  to  those  who  are 
disposed  to  turn  it  to  account  in  that  way. 

Great  care  is  requisite  in  landing  the  salmon-trout,  or  he 
will  break  loose  from  the  hook  between  the  water  and  the 
boat.  From  the  moment  the  fish  is  hooked  the  line  should 
be  kept  tight,  or  he  will  disengage  himself.  Pull  in  your  line- 
as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  your  prize  will  run  directly  to  the 
surface  ;  and  then  by  taking  a  dexterous  advantage  of  his. 


163  NARRATIVES. 

momentum,  and  keeping  him  carefully  clear  of  the  side  of 
the  boat,  you  can  throw  him  clean  over  on  to  the  bottom 
with  very  little  outlay  of  physical  force.  When  captured, 
insert  the  sharp  point  of  a  knife  into  the  back  at  the  spot 
where  the  head  joins  the  body,  and  he  will  neither  disturb 
your  temper  nor  entangle  your  lines  by  unnecessary  flounder- 
ing. Some  amateurs  make  use  of  a  landing-net ;  but  the 
practiced  sportsman  will  pronounce  this  a  superfluity. 

The  recollection  of  the  time  passed  amid  the  still  loneliness 
of  this  beautiful  lake  will  long  remain  a  bright  spot  in  my 
memory.  The  passing  glimpse  of  a  deer  on  the  distant  brink, 
sipping  the  clear  water  in  safety,  far  out  of  rifle-shot ;  the  oc- 
casional shooting  of  a  gull  or  loon,  whose  unearthly  cry  at 
dusk  is  forcibly  suggestive  of  a  monster  not  less  formidable 
than  a  bear  or  panther ;  the  daily  exercise  of  trout-catching  ; 
unlimited  rations  of  trout  in  every  possible  shape  —  trout  sal- 
mon and  trout  speckled,  trout  large  and  trout  small,  trout 
boiled,  trout  roasted,  and  trout  fried :  such  is  a  brief  epitome 
of  my  life  at  Moose  Lake. 

But  this  wild  existence,  however  pleasurable,  must  be  tran- 
sitory. Duty  recalled  me  to  the  world,  with  a  voice  too  im- 
perative to  be  disobeyed  ;  and  accordingly,  having  resolved  to 
commence  our  return  journey  on  the  morrow,  my  companion 
and  I  began  to  pack  our  baggage  in  readiness  for  an  early 
start.  How  to  reduce  our  effects  to  light  marching^rder  was 
something  of  a  problem  ;  and  while  Newhouse  was  trying  to 
solve  the  vexed  question,  I  volunteered  to  "  wash  the  dishes." 
Our  table-service  was  as  follows :  One  camp-kettle,  capacity 
four  quarts,  serving  the  purposes  of  hot- water  boiler,  stew- 
pot,  oven,  &c. ;  two  tin  table-plates  ;  two  tin  pint  basins  ;  two 
pairs  knives  and  forks ;  and  two  iron  table-spoons,  besides  our 
indispensability,  the  frying-pan.  These  I  deposited  on  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  and,  making  an  extempore  dish-cloth  from 
a  rag  which  I  found  among  our  luggage,  I  commenced  my 
work.  I  began  with  the  frying-pan,  as  being  entitled  to  the 
most  labor,  and  scrubbed  vigorously  for  what  I  considered  a 
suitable  length  of  time,  but,  for  some  reason,  failed  to  make 
very  sensible  progress.  The  grease  adhered  pertinaciously ; 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS.          169 

and  the  harder  I  rubbed,  the  worse  it  looked.  I  then  be- 
thought myself  of  commencing  with  something  which  would 
afford  an  easier  task  ;  so  I  threw  aside  the  frying-pan,  and 
took  up  one  of  the  tin  plates.  But  here  again  I  experienced 
a  similar  difficulty.  Rub  as  hard  as  I  would,  the  grease  obsti- 
nately refused  to  yield  to  my  efforts.  By  this  time,  I  had 
begun  to  think  there  was  something  wrong  in  my  way  of 
going  to  work  ;  so  I  ceased  manipulation,  and  fell  to  specu- 
lating on  the  probable  cause  of  my  defeat.  I  had  not  studied 
the  matter  a  great  while,  when  it  occurred  to  me  that  the 
attempt  to  wash  a  greasy  dish  without  either  soap  or  hot 
water  was  not  an  altogether  sagacious  method  of  procedure. 
Having  remedied  this  fundamental  error,  I  experienced  no 
further  difficulty,  and  even  congratulated  myself  on  making 
the  discovery  unaided.  I  omitted,  however,  to  mention  the 
circumstance  to  my  companion,  partly  because  my  feelings  on 
this  point  were  tender,  but  mainly  because  I  wished  to  avoid 
tempting  him  into  the  vice  of  ridicule  —  a  weakness  in  which 
he  is  at  times  prone  to  indulge.  He  subsequently  heard,  how- 
ever, the  story  of  my  dish-washing,  and,  to  this  day,  cannot 
resist  the  temptation  to  start  a  laugh  over  it  at  my  expense. 

By  daylight  on  the  following  morning,  we  were  en  route  for 
home.  We  had  selected  and  packed  for  preservation  about 
forty  pounds  of  our  choicest  fish,  and  left  behind  us  every- 
thing not  jieeded  on  our  return  journey.  A  few  hours  of 
rowing  brought  us  to  the  landing,  where  we  bade  farewell  to 
our  boat,  which  had  stood  us  in  such  good  stead.  We  were 
now  dependent  solely  on  our  legs  for  the  transportation  of 
ourselves  and  effects  back  to  civilization,  and  we  braced  our- 
selves manfully  for  the  task. 

As  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  carry  the  said  forty  pounds  of  trout, 
I  heroically  shouldered  my  burden,  and  started  in  a  homeward 
direction.  It  was  now  two  o'clock,  p.  M.  ;  and  before  we 
could  reach  a  resting-place,  we  must  traverse  those  eleven 
miles  of  forest  which  proved  so  interminably  long  on  our  way 
hither.  Certain  ominous  doubts  as  to  my  ability  to  accom- 
plish the  task  were  carefully  thrust  aside  as  irrelevant  and 
not  to  be  entertained. 


170  NARRATIVES. 

The  sensation,  to  one  who  has  never  before  had  a  load  on 
his  shoulders,  of  a  pack  of  forty  pounds'  weight  placed  thereon, 
is  any  thing  but  comfortable  ;  and  still  less  so  was  the  prospect 
of  carrying  such  a  burden  over  the  long  and  difficult  path 
which  lay  before  us.  But  circumstances  were  inexorable  : 
the  cross  must  be  borne,  and  bear  it  I  did,  as  the  sequel  will 
show.  By  dint  of  occasionally  shifting  my  load  from  one 
point  to  another  on  my  back,  I  traversed  the  first  two  or  three 
miles  quite  comfortably.  I  even  began  to  be  jubilant  over  my 
supposed  capacity  as  a  beast  of  burden.  How  great,  thought 

I,  will  be  the  shame  and  confusion  of  W and  T and 

H (who  had  striven  to  cast  discredit  on  my  backwoods- 

manship),  when  I  relate  to  them,  in  full  conclave,  my  tri- 
umphant exodus  from  the  wilderness  !  What,  after  all,  was 
there  in  the  crossing  of  the  Alps  by  Napoleon  or  Hannibal ; 
the  passage  of  the  Splugen  by  Macdonald,  or  the  Rocky 
Mountains  by  Fre*mont ;  the  scaling  of  the  Heights  of  Abra- 
ham by  Wolfe  ;  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers ;  or  any 
of  those  achievements  about  which  history  makes  such  an 
ado  —  what  is  there  in  all  these  that  evinces  a  greater  su- 
premacy of  mind  over  matter,  than  this  march  of  mine  from 
solitude  to  civilization  with  forty  pounds  of  salmon-trout  on 
my  back  ?  The  greatest  deeds  are  not  those  which  Fame 
trumpets  to  posterity.  "  Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush 
unseen,"  &c. 

But  alas  for  poor,  fallible  human  nature  !  The  spirit  indeed 
was  willing,  but  the  flesh  seemed  likely  to  prove  a  failure.  At 
the  close  of  the  fifth  mile,  I  felt  desperately  tired  and  uncom- 
fortable. Sombre  thoughts  began  to  creep  over  me.  What 
if,  after  all,  my  enterprise  should  not  prove  a  triumph  ?  What 
if  it  should  result  in  an  ignominious  defeat  ?  What  if  dark- 
ness should  overtake  me,  and  I  should  be  left  exhausted  in 
the  forest,  a  prey  to  wild  beasts  ?  What  if  the  next  traveller 
should  find  my  bones  by  the  way-side,  picked  clean  by  remorse- 
less wolves?  And,  as  if  to  give  force  to  the  suggestion, 
Newhouse,  who  was  a  short  distance  in  the  rear,  shouted, 
"A  wolf!  a  wolf!  "  My  sporting  instincts  at  once  prevailed 
over  my  fatigue ;  and,  cocking  my  rifle,  I  rushed  into  the 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS.          171 

bushes  in  the  direction  indicated,  just  in  time  to  hear  the  re- 
treating footsteps  of  the  animal  dying  away  among  the  under- 
brush. Pursuit  was  hopeless  ;  but  the  excitement  of  the  affair 
revived  my  drooping  energy,  and  for  a  short  time  I  trod  the 
lonesome  path  more  lightly. 

But  this  factitious  strength  was  only  temporary,  and  I  was 
soon  more  tired  than  ever.  So  utterly  demoralized  did  I  be- 
come, that  the  sight  of  a  noble  buck  standing  directly  in  my 
path,  but  a  few  paces  distant,  and  gazing  at  me  with  his  large, 
lustrous,  startled  eyes,  brimful  of  wonder,  failed  to  arouse 
me  in  the  least ;  and  I  allowed  him  to  walk  leisurely  away, 
unmolested.  The  only  desire  of  which  I  was  conscious  was, 
an  irrepressible  longing  for  shelter  and  repose,  neither  of 
which  were  near  at  hand. 

It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  we  had  yet  several  miles  to 
travel.  Newhouse  had  loitered  a  mile  or  two  behind,  and  I 
was  quite  alone.  I  had  long  desired  to  be  in  the  wilderness 
at  night,  far  from  any  human  being,  for  the  purpose  of  testing 
my  strength  of  nerve.  I  had  been  curious  to  know  what 
would  be  the  effect  upon  me  of  such  a  situation,  and  whether 
my  ordinary  equanimity  would  be  in  any  way  disturbed  by  it. 
Here  was  an  admirable  opportunity  to  have  this  question 
definitively  settled ;  but,  unfortunately,  I  was  too  tired  to  in- 
dulge in  self-examination  or  thought  of  any  kind,  and  so 
allowed  the  occasion  to  pass  unimproved.  About  this  time,  a 
heavy  thunder- cloud,  which  for  some  time  had  been  sending 
forth  ominous  mutterings,  began  to  discharge  its  damp  con- 
tents upon  my  devoted  head.  But  I  was  so  insufferably  weary 
as  to  be  entirely  oblivious  of  rain,  or  thought  of  personal  dan- 
ger. The  not  unfrequent  intimation  of  the  close  proximity  of 
of  some  wild  beast  caused  me  no  uneasiness,  and  I  could  have 
faced  all  the  animals  in  the  North  Woods  en  masse  with  the 
most  perfect  imperturbability.  I  thought  of  heaven  as  a  place 
of  rest,  and  wished  I  was  safely  there.  I  thought  of  the  rude 
log-hut  I  had  left  that  morning,  and  my  bed  of  hemlock 
boughs,  with  sensations  similar  to  those  with  which  Adam 
must  have  contemplated  his  lost  Paradise.  The  forty  pounds 
of  salmon  trout  on  my  shoulders  weighed  down  more  heavily 


172  NARRATIVES. 

than  the  rocks  with  which  Dante  has  loaded  some  of  his  unfor- 
tunate sinners  in  purgatory.  And  so  I  fared  slowly  on,  stop- 
ping once  in  thirty  or  forty  rods  to  rest,  half  inclined  to  throw 
away  my  gun  and  burden,  and  yet  impelled  to  their  preser- 
vation by  a  sort  of  native  tenacity  which  was  unwilling  to 
relax  any  part  of  my  programme. 

By  this  time  it  was  so  dark  that  eyes  were  a  superfluity. 
The  only  method  by  which  I  could  keep  my  path  was,  to  be 
sure  that  I  was  safe  in  the  mud.  If,  at  any  time,  I  chanced  to 
set  foot  on  dry  land,  I  concluded  at  once  that  I  had  lost  the 
road  ;  and  my  progress  could  only  be  resumed  by  groping  about 
until  my  path  was  once  more  wet  and  miry.  I  sometimes 
wonder  how  I  ever  succeeded  in  working  my  way  through 
such  a  labyrinth  of  difficulties ;  and  have  gratefully  attributed 
it  to  the  assistance  of  my  guardian  angel,  who  must  have 
been  sensible  that  I  was  very  much  in  need  of  his  aid. 

As  all  things  terrestrial,  however,  whether  good  or  evil, 
must  at  length  come  to  an  end,  so  in  due  time  came  the  ter- 
mination of  my  toilsome  journey.  After  a  period  which  then 
seemed  a  great  many  hours  in  length,  but  which  a  cool  retro- 
spect convinces  me  must  have  been  a  much  shorter  period 
of  time,  I  staggered  out  of  the  woods,  and  sank  exhausted  on 
the  bank  of  Moose  River.  It  is  my  firm  conviction  that,  if 
my  life  had  been  at  stake,  I  could  not  have  walked  another 
mile.  So  I  lifted  up  my  voice,  and  shouted  vigorously  for  the 
ferryman  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  but  I  received  no 
reply.  It  was  late  at  night,  and  he  was  doubtless  sound 
asleep  long  ere  this.  Then  I  essayed  to  awaken  him  by  dis- 
charging my  rifle  ;  but,  on  snapping  the  locks  of  each  barrel, 
I  found  that  the  rain,  which  was  still  falling  liberally,  had  so 
dampened  the  priming  as  to  make  the  attempt  abortive.  I 
crawled  under  the  shelter  of  a  large  hemlock,  and  finally, 
after  much  awkward  fumbling  in  the  darkness,  succeeded  in 
re-capping  my  rifle,  and  in  pricking  some  dry  powder  into  the 
tubes.  This  being  accomplished,  I  succeeded  in  discharging 
both  barrels,  and  was  gratified  to  hear  an  answering  shout  in 
return.  In  due  time  a  boat  appeared,  and  I  was  speedily 
transferred  to  comparatively  comfortable  quarters,  where  rest 
and  shelter  awaited  me. 


AN  AMATEUR  IN  THE  NORTH  WOODS.          173 

A  more  forlorn  object  than  myself,  as  I  emerged  from  the 
woods  on  that  memorable  occasion,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
conceive  of.  Mud,  rain,  underbrush,  and  mosquitoes  had  so 
thoroughly  disguised  me  that  it  would  have  required  an  inti- 
mate acquaintance  to  have  recognized  a  familiar  feature  ;  and, 
as  my  powers  of  description  are  limited,  I  will  leave  the  con- 
ception of  my  personal  appearance  to  the  imagination  of  the 
reader.  Thanks,  however,  to  an  elastic  constitution  and  a 
sound  night's  sleep,  the  ensuing  morning  found  me  compara- 
tively fresh,  and  in  good  condition  for  the  completion  of  my 
journey. 

Thus  ended  my  campaign  in  the  woods.  We  were  now 
within  reach  of  the  appliances  of  civilization,  so  that  it  was  an 
easy  matter  to  reach  the  nearest  railroad  station,  and  avail 
ourselves  of  steam  locomotion.  Despite  the  numerous  vexa- 
tions and  petty  hardships  which  neccessarily  attended  my 
novitiate  in  backwoodsmanship,  it  was,  on  the  whole,  a  pleas- 
ant episode  in  my  life,  and  one  upon  which  I  look  back  with 
none  but  pleasurable  emotions.  And,  although  I  should  not 
choose  to  establish  my  permanent  residence  in  the  woods,  I 
can  readily  sympathize  with  the  attachment  to  the  forest 
which  characterizes  those  hardy  spirits  who  are  "  to  the  manor 
born." 

My  narrative  has  but  little  to  do  with  trapping  or  even  hunt- 
ing, and  may  seem  irrelevant  in  this  book.  But  it  relates  at 
least  to  life  in  the  woods ;  and,  to  give  any  thing  like  a  full 
view  of  that  subject,  it  is  important  to  show  how  such  a  life 
seems  to  the  inexperienced.  This  book  may  induce  many 
untried  youth  to  enlist  in  the  trapping  service  ;  and,  in  mercy 
to  them,  I  would  give  them  beforehand  some  adequate  con- 
ception of  the  realities  before  them,  that  they  may  not  rush 
upon  the  mosquitoes  and  gnats  and  wolves  and  whisky,  and 
long,  weary,  back-laden  journeys,  wholly  unprepared. 

And,  after  all  the  tribulations  that  I  have  recorded,  I  came 
out  of  the  woods  with  such  an  appreciation  of  the  discipline 
of  forest  life,  that  I  cannot  conclude  without  expressing  the 
hope  that  the  time  will  come  when  schools,  that  prize  the 
health  and  hardihood  that  come  by  gymnastics  and  military 


174  NARRATIVES. 

drill,  will  turn  their  attention  to  hunting  and  trapping  as 
means  of  education ;  and,  instead  of  sending  occasional  de- 
tachments of  schoolboys  in  summer  on  mere  aimless  pedes- 
trian journeys,  or  into  mock  encampments,  will  annually 
organize  regiments  of  stalwart  youth  for  penetrating,  even  in 
winter,  the  savage  regions  far  beyond  the  frontiers  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  doing  real  service  as  hunters  and  trappers  of  wild 
beasts  —  a  service,  in  my  opinion,  as  dignified  and  discipli- 
nary, to  say  the  least,  as  war. 


TRAVELLING  IN  A  CIRCLE. 

BY  J.  P.  H. 


THE  little  pocket-compass  is  by  no  means  a  contemptible 
article  in  the  estimation  of  a  woodsman  ;  it  has  a  place  in  his 
affections  equal,  perhaps,  to  that  of  his  dog  or  gun,  and  not  only 
guides  him  unerringly  through  the  dense  and  trackless  for- 
ests, but  oftentimes  serves  him  in  the  capacity  of  a  time-piece. 
He  places  it  on  the  muzzle  of  his  gun,  and,  if  after  it  has 
become  settled,  the  south  end  of  the  needle  points  directly  un- 
der the  sun,  he  concludes  that  it  is  noon ;  or,  at  least,  near 
enough  for  his  purposes.  His  compass  is  the  most  trustwor- 
thy servant  he  has,  and  it  never  fails  him  if  he  heeds  its 
admonitions.  But  the  inexperienced  woodsman  is  sometimes 
quite  apt  to  get  into  a  quarrel  with  his  compass,  especially 
when  he  loses  his  bearings  and  gets  his  head  a  little  turned. 
Thus,  when  most  needing  its  aid,  he  frequently  heaps  curses 
upon  it,  and  declares  it  is  "  all  out  of  fix."  Or  he  imagines 
he  has  come  into  close  proximity  to  a  bed  of  iron  ore,  lode- 
stone,  or  some  other  wonderful  thing  that  has  bewitched  his 
compass.  It  does  not  at  first  occur  to  him  that  there  can  be 
any  thing  wrong  in  his  calculations,  but  he  reasons  something 
after  the  style  of  the  old  Indian,  who,  when  he  was  unable  to 
find  his  wigwam,  vehemently  declared,  "Indian  no  lost  I 
Indian  here  !  Wigwam  lost !  " 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  persons  lost  in  the  woods  travel 
in  a  circuitous  course  so  accurately  that  they  sometimes 
revolve  round  to  the  same  point  several  times  within  a  short 
period. 

T told  me  that  he  was  once  travelling  in  the  woods 

when  there  was  snow  on  the  ground,  and  all  of  a  sudden  came 


176  NARRATIVES. 

across  the  track  of  a  man.  The  track  seemed  to  coincide 
with  his  course,  so  he  "  struck  "  into  it  and  followed  on,  think- 
ing that  ere  long  he  might  overtake  the  lonely  forester ;  but, 
after  he  had  travelled  half  an  hour  or  more,  he,  to  his  surprise, 
discovered  where  another  track  had  joined  the  first.  The  two 
travellers,  seeming  to  be  of  the  same  mind  as  himself,  were 

travelling  on  before  him.  "  Well,"  said  T ,  after  a  brief 

philosophical  parley  with  himself,  "  the  more  the  merrier.'* 
So  he  betook  himself  to  his  legs  and  got  on  somewhat  faster 
than  at  first.  But  presently  he  stood  aghast  at  a  third  track 
which  "  struck  "  into  the  trail.  Fortunately  our  hero's  native 
sagacity  came  to  his  aid,  and  he  was  led  to  examine  the  tracks 
of  his  neighbors  a  little  more  minutely  than  he  had  done,  and 
his  investigations  resulted  in  the  discovery  that  they  were  all 
very  much  like  his  own  ;  indeed,  so  much  so  that  he  deemed 
it  perfectly  safe  and  altogether  expedient  for  him  to  take  the 
back  track  of  the  last  traveller,  and,  if  possible,  make  his  way 
out  of  that  scene.  He  accordingly  did  so,  and  in  due  time 
found  himself  "  all  sound,  sir  !  "  as  he  says,  safely  landed  at 
the  point  from  which  he  started  when  he  first  entered  the  for- 
est. He  is  a  little  reticent  respecting  the  fate  of  his  three 
fellow-bushmen ;  but  rumor  says  they  were  never  heard  of 
more. 

I  do  not  remember  to  have  ever  heard  a  satisfactory  reason 
why  a  lost  person  travels  round  in  a  circle.  It  has  been 
said  by  somebody,  that  people  generally  step  a  little  farther 
with  the  right  foot  than  they  do  with  the  left ;  so,  when  they 
have  nothing  to  guide  them,  the  tendency  is  to  bear  to  the 
left :  thus,  in  time,  they  make  a  circle.  But  this  explanation 
is  not  generally  accepted.  I  am  satisfied  from  experience  that 
foresters,  when  lost,  do  not  always  turn  to  the  left,  and  also 
that  the  size  of  the  circle  thus  made  depends  very  much  upon 
the  character  of  the  forest.  If  it  is  open,  and  free  from  under- 
brush, one  does  not  deviate  from  a  direct  course  so  much  as  he 
would  if  it  were  more  dense.  When  a  lad,  I  was  connected 
with  an  adventure  which  bears  somewhat  on  the  point  in 
question. 

Near  the  head  waters  of  the  Chenango  River,  in  New  York, 


TRAVELLING  IN  A   CIRCLE.  177 

is  situated  a  large  swamp,  called  by  the  inhabitants  of  that 
region  "  The  Great  Cedar  Swamp."  It  is  eight  or  ten  miles 
long,  and  perhaps  two  or  three  wide.  So  boggy  is  the  ground 
and  so  impenetrable  is  the  forest  for  man  or  beast,  I  doubt  if 
some  parts  of  it  have  ever  been  explored.  Neverthless  it  may 
be  looked  upon  as  a  godsend  to  the  surrounding  inhabitants ; 
for  they  are  almost  exclusively  hop-growers,  and  from  this 
swamp  they  get  an  abundant  supply  of  cedar  poles,  which  are 
gathered  in  winter,  when  the  ground  is  more  or  less  frozen. 

The  Chenango  River  flows  through  the  whole  length  of 
this  swamp  ;  yet  it  is  so  deep  and  so  sluggish,  that  the  motion 
of  the  water  is  scarcely  perceptible,  and  so  crooked,  too,  that 
my  boyish  fancy  used  to  picture  a  bird  trying  to  fly  across  it 
and  invariably  lighting  on  the  same  side  from  which  it  started. 

At  the  lower  end  of  this  swamp  the  river  leaves  the  forest, 
and,  losing  its  mysterious  air,  breaks  into  a  merry  babble,  as  it 
hurries  away  over  the  stones  towards  the  Susquehanna.  Here 
an  old  fisherman  used  occasionally  to  leave  his  boat  after  one 
of  his  fishing  excursions  up  the  river,  and  it  was  the  delight 
of  the  adventurous  youths  of  the  neighboring  town  to  obtain 
this  boat,  and  penetrate  as  far  as  possible  into  the  dark  recesses 
of  that  solitary  swamp. 

It  was  one  sunny  Sunday  when  such  an  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself  to  me.  Two  fellows  older  than  myself  (one  a 
young  man)  proposed  that  we  should  make  an  excursion  up 
the  river.  This  was  readily  agreed  to,  and  we  at  once  pos- 
sessed ourselves  of  the  boat.  We  were  told,  however,  that 
the  owner  intended  to  use  his  boat,  and  very  likely  would  be 
after  us  before  we  returned.  Heedless  of  all  warnings  of  this 
kind,  we  pushed  off,  and  were  soon  lost  among  the  alders 
along  the  stream. 

We  paddled  slowly  on  for  half  an  hour,  with  nothing  to 
interrupt  our  tranquillity  but  the  occasional  splash  of  the  musk- 
rat,  as  he  disappeared  beneath  the  black  water ;  or  as  the  spot- 
ted turtle,  startled  at  our  approach,  rolled  from  off  his  sunning- 
place  and  also  disappeared. 

We  had  almost  concluded  that  we  were  destined  to  enjoy 
an  undisturbed  possession  of  the  boat,  when  we  heard,  far 
12 


178  NARRATIVES. 

away  down  the  river,  the  stentorian  cries  of  the  old  fisherman. 
We  at  once  comprehended  the  situation  of  things  and  knew 
that  he  was  on  our  track.  We  were  afraid  to  go  back,  and 
dared  not  go  forward.  So  we  awaited  our  destiny  ;  nor  did  we 
wait  long  ere  we  saw  his  grizzly  visage  peering  through  the 
jungle,  demanding  our  surrender,  which  demand  we  immedi- 
ately and  unconditionally  complied  with.  He  had  a  compan- 
ion with  him,  and  they  were  both  pretty  well  spent,  owing  to 
their  hard  tramp.  We  expected  to  get  a  ducking,  or  some- 
thing worse  ;  but  on  reaching  the  shore  he  only  gave  us,  as  I 
thought,  a  moderate  cursing  for  not  bringing  the  boat  back 
when  he  first  called  to  us,  for  he  was  sure  we  heard  him.  I  felt 
some  desire  to  confess  my  fault  and  ask  his  pardon  ;  but  not 
so,  I  fear,  with  my  comrades.  The  big  individual  was  deplor- 
ably deficient  in  his  moral  department,  and  unhesitatingly 
made  oath  to  any  thing  that  his  short-sighted  nature  told  him 
would  soonest  help  him  out  of  difficulty.  After  laboring  much 
to  impress  us  with  the  hardships  he  had  encountered  in  get- 
ting up  the  river,  the  old  fisherman  ended  by  informing  us 
that  we  might  get  back  the  same  way  he  came,  or  by  any 
other  we  pleased;  he  should  not  ferry  us  back.  Then,  to 
soften  the  matter  a  little,  he  said  that  a  half  mile's  travel 
directly  away  from  the  river  would  take  us  out  to  the  settle- 
ment, and  thus  avoid  the  difficulty  of  following  down  the  river. 

Now,  there  is  an  inexorable  law  pertaining  to  human  nature, 
that  "  every  man  shall  be  rewarded  according  to  his  works." 
And  I  think  this  old  fisherman  did  not  deal  with  us  according 
to  our  deserts ;  therefore,  at  this  point,  Providence  took  the 
matter  in  hand. 

We  plunged  in  among  the  tangled  bushes  as  we  were  di- 
rected, congratulating  ourselves  with  our  good  luck  in  coming 
off  so  easily.  But  our  self-complacency  was  premature  ;  for 
after  an  exhausting  tramp  of  not  less  than  a  mile,  I  should 
think,  instead  of  arriving  at  the  settlement  as  we  hoped,  we 
all  at  once  found  ourselves  standing  upon  the  bank  of  that 
same  deep  and  ominously  dark  river :  — 

M  Deep  into  that  darkness  peering, 
Long  I  stood  there,  wondering,  fearing." 


TRAVELLING  IN  A  CIRCLE.  179 

I  longed  to  see  the  face  of  the  old  fisherman  once  more, 
but  he  was  gone  and  had  not  left  even  a  ripple  on  the  smooth 
water.  We  thought  to  follow  the  river  down  ;  but,  alas  !  wo 
had  forgotten  which  way  was  down.  We  cast  sticks  into  the 
water,  hoping  they  would  indicate  to  us  its  course ;  but  their 
movement  was  so  slight  that  we  questioned  whether  it  was 
caused  by  the  wind  or  current.  There  was  nothing  left  us 
now  but  to  try  our  first  experiment  over  again.  This  we  did 
with  the  same  results  as  before.  My  big  companion  vented  his 
feelings  in  a  shower  of  oaths;  while  I  thought  that  any  thing 
would  have  been  more  appropriate,  under  the  circumstances, 
than  cursing ;  for  we  were  all  nearly  exhausted,  so  difficult 
was  it  to  push  our  way  through  the  tangled  swamp-grass  and 
bushes.  But  we  must  get  out  of  our  terrible  situation  in  some 
way ;  so  we  sallied  forth  again.  After  tramping  onward  for 
some  time,  I  remember,  we  came  to  a  partially  decayed  fish- 
basket,  that  had  probably  been  long  since  left  there  by  some 
fisherman.  Glad  to  see  any  thing  that  reminded  us  of  civili- 
zation, we  halted  to  rest  a  little,  and  to  hold  a  brief  consulta- 
tion. Here  we  resolved  that,  if  it  was  our  lot  to  strike  the 
river  again,  we  would  not  leave  it,  but  wait  for  the  boat  to 
come  down  and  take  us  in.  With  this  resolution  we  again  set 
forth;  but  our  senses  had  become  so  bewildered,  that,  I  dare 
say,  we  had  not  travelled  ten  minutes  before  we  came  plump 
upon  that  old  fish-basket.  My  big  companion  was  again  vio- 
lent in  his  expressions ;  but  we  scrambled  on,  not  knowing 
whither  we  went,  until,  as  chance  would  have  it,  we  again 
stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

We  now  climbed  a  tree,  and  set  our  lungs  as  vigorously  at 
work  as  our  legs  had  been,  calling  loudly  for  the  old  fisher- 
man. It  was  not  until  we  had  screamed  ourselves  hoarse  that 
we  heard  a  faint  sound  far  away  up  the  river.  It  was  now  his 
turn  to  comprehend  the  condition  of  things,  and  after  taking 
his  own  time  for  it,  he  came  down  to  our  relief.  But,  oh,  how 
rejoiced  I  was  to  see  his  craft  winding  round  a  bend  just 
above  us  !  He  seemed  like  a  father  to  me  :  his  weather-worn 
face  had  a  charm  about  it  undiscovered  before;  no  matter  if 
an  artful  smile  did  play  around  his  mouth  on  witnessing  our 


180  NARRATIVES. 

forlorn  condition.  He  spoke  kindly  to  us,  and  took  us  aboard 
his  boat,  and,  after  administering  some  wholesome  advice,  he 
soon  landed  us  once  more  in  a  civilized  region.  If  I  should 
ever  see  the  old  veteran  again,  I  would  try  to  prove  to  him 
that  I  had  profited  by  his  advice. 


AN  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN 
HILLS. 

BT  THEODORE  L.  PITT. 


SEVERAL  miles  north  of  the  village  of  Madoc,  in  Canada 
West,  a  traveller,  journeying  northward,  enters  upon  a  sec- 
tion of  country  to  which  geologists  have  given  the  name  of 
Laurentian  Hills.  These  hills  stretch  from  the  Ottawa  River 
to  Georgian  Bay,  and  from  the  neighborhood  of  Madoc  to  the 
region  of  the  Madawaska.  This  portion  of  Canada  is  sup- 
posed by  geologists  to  be  the  oldest  land  in  the  world.  Here 
was  the  primeval  continent  —  the  first  "  dry  land  "  that  "  ap- 
peared "  above  the  all-enveloping  ocean,  that,  in  those  far- 
off  days  of  creation,  rolled  unbroken  round  the  globe.  The 
rocks  of  this  region  are  the  oldest  in  kind  with  which  man 
anywhere  comes  in  contact.  They  are  azoic  rocks  —  rocks  in 
which  no  indications  of  animal  life  can  be  traced.  They  have 
no  fossils,  and  if  any  living  creatures*  existed  in  the  ancient 
ages  in  which  these  rocks  were  formed,  all  evidences  of  their 
existence  have  utterly  passed  away  in  the  geologic  revolu- 
tions. The  country  is  emphatically  a  land  of  hills.  They 
seldom  if  ever  rise  to  the  dignity  of  mountains,  but  below 
this  they  are  of  all  sizes  and  shapes.  Generally  their  longer 
axis  is  from  northeast  to  southwest.  The  land  appears  as  if  it 
had  once  been  a  vast  sea  of  molten  rock  lashed  into  fury  by  a 
northwest  gale,  or  the  boiling  of  Plutonic  fires,  and  then  in  a 
moment  congealed.  The  region  is  all  underlaid  with  rock 
at  the  depth  of  a  few  feet,  and  it  crops  out  continually.  There 
are  visible  ledges,  vast  beds,  and  bowlders  innumerable.  Per- 
pendicular cliffs  hundreds  of  feet  high  are  found,  sometimes 
overhanging  the  clear  wate  rs  of  a  lake  ;  at  others,  the  lofty  tops. 


182  NARRATIVES. 

of  a  pine  forest.  There  are  great  walls  of  rock  piled  up, 
which  look  as  if  the  Titans  of  old  mythology  had  worked 
there  in  the  unknown  ages.  If  one  wishes  to  study  rock- 
work  on  the  largest  scale,  let  him  go  to  the  Laurentian  Hills 
and  see  the  backbone  of  the  world.  He  will  see  more.  He 
will  see  the  workshop  where  the  continents  were  made.  All 
the  rocks  that  are  now  to  be  seen  are  but  the  remnants  of 
what  existed  in  the  old  ages,  hundreds  of  millions  of  years 
ago.  They  are  all  ground  down  and  smoothed  and  rounded 
by  untold  cycles  of  abrasion  and  disintegration.  I  can  hardly 
imagine  scenery  more  impressive  and  suggestive  of  the  mighty 
power  that  has  worked  upon  the  world  in  the  long,  long  past. 
The  Laurentian  Hills  and  valleys  are  covered  with  forests 
of  pine,  hemlock,  hard-wood,  cedar,  tamarack,  &c.,  and  form 
a  paradise  for  the  lumbermen,  large  companies  of  whom  carry 
on  their  operations  there.  The  Canadian  government  has 
opened  roads  running  northerly  into  the  forests  at  intervals  of 
twenty  or  thirty  miles.  Settlers  have  penetrated  along  these 
roads  and  made  clearings  and  erected  log-cabins,  far  into  the 
back  country.  But  it  is  not  a  favorable  country  for  farming : 
the  summers  are  frosty,  the  winters  long  and  severe,  the  soil 
is  rocky  and  shallow.  Many  deserted  cabins  are  seen,  and 
clearings  growing  up  with  forests  again.  Here  and  there  a 
section  is  found  where  the  soil  produces  fair  crops  of  grain. 
The  greater  portion,  however,  will  always  remain  in  wood- 
land, and  continue  to  be  one  of  the  best  trapping  grounds  in 
Canada  for  years  to  come.  The  head  waters  of  several  river 
systems  are  in  this  region,  and  thousands  of  small  streams 
and  lakes  abound.  The  rocks  which  underlie  the  country  are 
mostly  impervious  to  water,  and  the  creeks  which  wind  among 
the  hills,  wherever  they  find  a  basin,  fill  it  and  form  a  lake. 
These  lakes  are  one  of  the  most  interesting  characteristics  of 
the  country.  Their  waters  are  pure  and  soft.  Encircled  as 
they  are  with  woods,  the  arrangement  of  the  trees  around 
them  is  a  noticeable  feature  of  the  landscape.  Next  to  the 
water  is  a  belt  of  evergreens,  broken  rarely  in  low,  marshy 
places  by  sections  of  black  ash,  or  on  low,  sandy  beaches  by 
white  birch.  Nearest  the  waters  is  a  fringe  of  cedars,  whose 


EXPEDITION   TO   THE   LAURENTIAN  HILLS.       183 

branches  droop,  and,  when  the  waters  are  high,  touch  the 
waves.  Back  of  the  cedars  are  the  hemlocks  and  pines,  and 
beyond  these,  on  the  uplands,  the  hard-wood  timber.  In  au- 
tumn, when  the  tints  are  changing,  this  arrangement  forms 
beautiful  pictures.  The  dark-green  of  the  pines  and  hem- 
locks mingles  far  up  the  hills,  in  all  picturesque  ways,  with  the 
splendors  of  birches,  beeches,  and  maples.  The  waters  of  the 
lake  and  the  cedar  fringe  form  a  base  to  the  scene.  Over  all 
comes  the  play  of  sunshine  and  shadow. 

To  this  region,  in  the  autumn  of  1865,  several  members  of 
the  Oneida  Community  went  on  a  trapping  excursion,  under 
the  lead  of  the  old  trapper  and  hunter,  Mr.  John  Hutchins, 
whose  character  and  adventures  have  been  sketched  on  pre- 
vious pages.  Their  departure  from  home  was  announced  by 
the  editor  of  the  "  Circular  "  in  the  following  terms  :  — 

"  On  Monday  next,  September  25th,  an  expedition  will  set  out 
from  the  Oneida  Community  for  the  backwoods  of  Upper  Canada. 
The  object  is  trapping,  and  the  company  go  prepared  for  a  six 
months'  campaign  in  the  woods.  The  expedition  consists  of — 

"John  H.  Noyes,  Perfectionist  and  Inventor; 

"  John  Hutchins,  old  Maine  trapper  and  hunter ; 

"  John  P.  Hutchins,  son  of  the  latter,  and  member  of  the  Oneida 
Community ; 

"  Theodore  L.  Pitt,  ex-Editor  of  the  <  Circular ' ; 

"  George  Campbell,  ex-Financier  of  the  Oneida  Community." 

The  objects  of  our  expedition,  more  fully  stated,  were  as 
follows :  1.  A  practical  acquaintance  with  life  in  the  woods, 
and  its  healthful  influences ;  2.  Trapping  and  acquaintance 
with  trappers  ;  3.  Fur-buying  and  study  of  the  fur-trade. 
The  programme  included  within  its  possibilities  a  winter  cam- 
paign in  the  woods,  and  an  outfit  was  prepared  accordingly. 
As  this  outfit  was  made  under  the  supervision  of  Messrs. 
Hutchins  and  Newhouse,  and  was  the  result  of  their  combined 
wisdom,  it  is  perhaps  worth  copying,  for  the  benefit  of  others 
planning  similar  expeditions.  It  was  as  follows  :  — 

OUTFIT. 

Guns ;    ammunition  ;    fishing   tackle  ;    two   good   salmon 


184  NARRATIVES. 

spears  ;  two  light  axes  ;  two  butcher-knives,  and  one  howel 
or  round  adze.  One  hatchet,  one  pocket-compass,  one  stout 
pocket-knife,  one  double-case  watch,  a  shoulder-basket  and 
a  haversack  for  each  man.  Provisions  taken  from  home  :  One 
bushel  of  beans,  two  dozen  cans  of  preserved  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, and  a  few  cans  of  condensed  milk.  Clothing,  go. :  One 
good  blanket,  one  stout  suit,  two  woolen  shirts,  two  pairs 
of  woolen  drawers,  six  pairs  of  woolen  stockings,  one  pair 
of  camp  shoes,  one  pair  of  boots,  and  two  pairs  of  woolen 
mittens,  for  each  man  ;  scissors,  needles,  thread,  thimbles, 
wax,  patches,  &c.,  in  abundance ;  matches  in  abundance,  in 
tin  safes  or  bottles,  air  or  water  tight ;  one  pocket  match-safe 
for  each  man.  Cooking  utensils  :  Two  six-quart  camp-kettles, 
two  frying-pans,  one  baking-kettle  ;  tin  plates,  spoons,  knives, 
forks,  basins,  coffee-pot  and  pails.  Miscellaneous :  One  draw- 
shave,  one  hand-saw,  one  hammer,  one  inch  auger,  four 
gimlets,  two  lamps  and  a  globe  lantern  ;  files,  nails,  and 
tacks ;  pillow-sack  and  night-cap  for  each  man ;  sacks  for 
hammock  -  beds  ;  snow  -  shoes  for  each  man  ;  fish  -  oil  for 
bait;  ink -stands,  pens,  and  pencils;  writing-paper;  one 
dog. 

Additional  provisions  to  be  taken  into  the  woods  were 
bought  at  the  last  village  on  our  route.  These  consisted  of 
flour,  oat-meal,  sugar,  butter,  salt,  pepper,  &c. 

The  destination  of  the  party,  according  to  programme,  was 
a  point  on  the  Hastings  Road,  near  the  head  waters  of  the 
Trent  River.  On  arrival  there,  we  were  to  reconnoitre, 
and,  if  prospects  were  unfavorable,  go  on  further  north.  Mr. 
Hutchins  had  trapped  in  that  region  several  seasons  before, 
and  considered  it  a  favorable  locality  for  accomplishing  our 
purposes. 

We  started  from  Oneida  about  noon  on  the  25th  of  Sep- 
tember, and  arrived  at  McKillican's,  sixty  miles  north  of 
Belleville,  on  the  Hastings  Road,  the  third  day  after,  at  mid- 
night. It  is  sufficient  to  say  of  the  journey,  that  we  had 
descended  in  regular  order  of  travel  from  the  railroad  to  the 
steamboat,  from  the  steamboat  to  the  stage-coach,  and  from 
the  stage-coach  to  the  lumber  wagon.  The  next  step  was 


EXPEDITION   TO   THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.       185 

pedestrianlsm :  we  had  enough  of  that  afterwards.  I  will 
say,  however,  that  the  traveller  on  the  Hastings  Road,  after 
reaching  Jordan,  sixteen  miles  beyond  Macloc,  if  he  consults 
his  personal  comfort,  will  eschew  all  other  modes  of  convey- 
ance except  those  with  which  nature  has  furnished  him,  —  his 
own  legs,  or  perhaps  horseback-riding.  Even  the  latter  is 
not  the  safest  operation  a  man  can  perform.  Hastings  Road 
from  Jordan  to  the  York  River  is  truly  a  "hard  road  to 
travel." 

McKillican's  is  the  clearing  and  habitation  of  Benjamin 
McKillican,  a  worthy  Scottish  Highlander,  who,  with  his  fam- 
ily, emigrated  from  Inverness  to  Canada  many  years  ago. 
Nine  or  ten  years  since,  he  settled  on  the  Hastings  Road, 
took  up  government  land  and  began  improvements.  He  is  now 
seventy  years  of  age  ;  a  friendly,  hospitable,  honest  man, 
and  a  fine  representative  of  the  Scottish  faith  and  earnestness 
in  religion.  His  family,  at  the  time  we  were  there,  consisted 
of  himself  and  wife  ;  two  handsome  daughters,  who  in  health, 
refinement,  and  industrious  activity,  were  noble  specimens  of 
backwoods  life  ;  and  two  younger  sons.  Our  acquaintance 
and  sojourns  with  this  family,  first  and  last,  are  among  the 
pleasant  memories  of  our  expedition. 

Seven  miles  west  of  McK.'s  was  Mr.  Hutchins's  old  trap- 
ping ground.  Four  years  before,  he  had  left  it  at  sixty  years 
of  age,  and  gone  to  the  war.  Those  years  had  made  as  great 
changes  in  the  backwoods  as  in  the  Southern  Confederacy. 
Other  trappers  had  come  in  and  "  occupied  the  land."  Set- 
tlers were  penetrating  the  wilds  on  either  hand.  Fires  had 
swept  through  vast  tracts  of  forest.  Mink,  beaver,  and  fisher 
had  become  less  numerous.  If  we  would  find  good  trapping 
grounds  we  must  go  on  towards  the  North  Pole,  or  penetrate 
many  miles  into  the  wilderness,  east  or  west  from  the  Has- 
tings Road.  The  next  morning  after  our  arrival  at  McK.'s, 
the  question  of  location  was  fairly  before  us.  We  made  in- 
quiries, we  sent  out  scouts,  we  studied  the  maps  of  the  country. 
The  result  was,  the  selection  of  Salmon  Lake  and  the  adja- 
cent region,  seven  miles  northeast  from  McK.'s,  as  our 
"camping  ground."  The  locality  seemed  attractive  on  the 


186  NARRATIVES. 

map,  being  full  of  lakes  and  streams.  It  was  said  to  be  out 
of  the  range  of  settlements ;  was  unoccupied  by  trappers. 
The  choice  was  between  this  locality  and  going  on  forty  or 
fifty  miles  to  the  Madawaska  region.  The  latter  was  far  be- 
yond the  range  of  the  white  trappers,  and  occupied  by  Indians 
who  were  unfriendly  to  intruders.  We  decided  for  Salmon 
Lake. 

How  to  get  to  Salmon  Lake  was  the  next  question.  There 
were  no  roads ;  at  least  we  could  hear  of  none.  There  was 
no  navigable  river.  We  shouldered  our  pack-baskets  and 
rifles,  and  explored.  An  old  winter  lumber-road,  which  was 
said  to  run  nearly  to  the  point  we  wished  to  reach,  was  first 
tried.  We  followed  it  two  miles  and  a  half,  most  of  the  way 
over  burnt  and  fallen  timber,  and  through  a  swamp  half-leg 
deep  in  water,  the  rain  in  the  mean  time  coming  down  in  a 
steady  drizzle  on  our  heads.  At  last  we  came  to  an  old  lumber 
shanty,  and  camped  for  the  night.  As  this  shanty  was  a  fair 
specimen  of  the  lumberman's  usual  habitation,  I  will  briefly 
describe  it.  It  was  about  twenty  feet  square,  seven  and  a 
half  feet  high  at  the  sides,  and  nine  and  a  half  feet  at  the 
peak  of  the  roof.  Each  side  was  built  of  five  great  logs,  some 
of  which  were  two  feet  in  diameter.  The  roof  was  made  of 
split  logs  hollowed  into  troughs,  and  placed  in  this  position  : 
\S^^5^"  All  the  cracks  and  holes  were  compactly  filled 
with  moss.  The  chimney  was  merely  a  crib  of  six-inch  sticks 
laid  up  log-house  fashion  from  the  roof,  and  placed  directly 
over  the  centre  of  the  building.  It  was  four  or  five  feet 
square  at  the  base,  and  served  the  double  purpose  of  carrying 
off  the  smoke  and  lighting  the  shanty.  The  fire-place  was  an 
altar  of  soil  and  stones  surrounded  with  timbers,  raised  a  foot 
or  more  from  the  floor,  directly  under  the  chimney.  There 
were  no  windows.  Around  the  sides  were  two  tiers  of  sleep- 
ing-bunks. All  through  the  Canada  woods,  wherever  there 
is  good  pine  timber,  these  shanties  may  be  found.  They  are 
occupied  in  winter  by  twenty  or  thirty  lumbermen,  and  after 
the  timber  is  all  culled,  and  transported  from  the  vicinity,  are 
abandoned. 

We  cleared  out  the  rubbish  from  the  shanty,  built  a  fire, 


EXPEDITION   TO   THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.       187 

gathered  in  great  armfuls  of  balsam  and  hemlock  boughs  for 
beds,  ate  supper,  wrapped  our  blankets  about  us,  and  slept  our 
first  night  in  the  Canada  woods.  Already  we  had  begun  to 
feel  a  fresh  vigor  pulsating  in  our  veins  as  we  tramped  the 
virgin  soil,  drank  the  pure  water,  and  breathed  the  perfumed 
atmosphere  of  the  woods.  How  new  and  rich  the  sensation 
of  tramping  all  day  in  the  rain  and  swamp-water,  through 
unknown  forests,  and  lying  down  at  night  on  evergreen  boughs 
to  dream  of  friends  far  away ! 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Hutchms,  who  had  been  reconnoi- 
tering  in  a  different  direction,  came  up  with  us  and  reported 
he  had  found  a  better  route.  As  there  was  no  prospect  of 
reaching  the  lake  short  of  several  days'  travel,  by  this  route, 
and  as  our  provisions  were  nearly  exhausted,  we  cooked  a 
meal  of  red  squirrels,  and  retreated.  A  definite  plan  was 
now  arranged.  A  mile  and  a  half  east  from  McK.'s  was  Bass 
Lake.  From  Bass  Lake  to  Salmon  Lake  there  was  an  outlet 
five  miles  long.  This  outlet  was  reported  navigable  with  ca- 
noes, but  no  one  had  voyaged  through  it  for  several  years. 
P ,  who  lived  on  Bass  Lake,  said  the  thing  was  practi- 
cable. We  concluded  to  try  it.  On  an  island  in  Bass  Lake 
grew  lofty  pines  suitable  for  canoes.  P was  an  experi- 
enced builder  of  that  kind  of  craft.  We  would  go  to  Bass 
Lake,  build  canoes,  transport  our  baggage  to  the  shore  of  that 
lake,  and  set  sail  —  paddle,  rather  —  down  the  "  Outlet."  We 
worked  cheerfully,  happily,  and  hard  for  a  week ;  built  three 
canoes,  got  our  baggage  across  from  McK.'s,  loaded  our  ves- 
sels, and  started. 

VOYAGE   DOWN    THE    OUTLET. 

It  was  morning ;  perhaps  we  should  get  to  Salmon  Lake, 
four  or  five  miles  distant,  by  nightfall.  The  mouth  of  the 
outlet  was  shallow  and  narrow,  so  that  we  had  to  deepen  it 
with  pick  and  shovel  the  day  before.  No  matter ;  it  would 
grow  deeper.  One  canoe  was  fifteen  feet  long,  and  thirty 
inches  across  the  gunwale,  carrying  three  hundred  pounds  of 
baggage.  Three  persons  occupied  and  managed  it.  The 


188  NARRATIVES. 

other  canoes  were  small ;   would  carry  one  man  each,  and 
considerable  freight. 

Gradually,  very  gradually,  the  water  grew  deeper,  and  the 
big  canoe  would  occasionally  float  a  rod  or  two,  without  much 
lifting  or  tugging  at  the  paddle.  But  it  would  soon  strike  a 
log.  If  the  log  was  seven  or  eight  inches  below  the  surface 
of  the  water,  the  canoe  could  be  pushed  over,  by  using  the 
paddles  as  poles,  without  much  difficulty.  If  the  log  was 
nearer  the  surface,  other  tactics  had  to  be  resorted  to.  How 
we  finally  learned 

TO   NAVIGATE  A  BOAT    IN  A  SHALLOW  STREAM   FULL  OF   STONES 

AND  LOGS, 

is  thus  told  by  J.  H.  N. :  — 

"  It  sometimes  happens  that  the  trapper,  in  following  his 
line,  or  in  passing  from  one  lake  to  another,  finds  himself  with 
his  boat  in  a  small  stream,  with  rocks  and  fallen  trees  obstruct- 
ing his  way.  The  Oneida  party,  in  descending  from  Bass 
Lake  to  Salmon  Lake,  encountered  five  miles  of  this  kind  of 
navigation.  The  creek  that  connects  the  two  lakes  was  re- 
duced by  drouth  to  a  mere  rivulet,  with  only  occasional  pud- 
dles large  enough  to  float  the  boats  ;  and  though  somebody 
had  forced  a  way  through,  some  years  before,  by  sawing  and 
chopping  away  logs  with  incredible  heroism  and  perseverance, 
much  of  his  labor  was  lost  to  us,  first,  because  the  low  state 
of  the  water  brought  out  into  bold  relief  the  lower  strata  of 
logs,  which  he  had  easily  sailed  over ;  and,  secondly,  because 
hundreds  of  new  trees  had  fallen  across  the  creek  since  his 
descent.  Moreover,  the  beaver  dams  had  all  been  repaired, 
and  we  had  to  work  our  way  over  twelve  of  them.  We  esti- 
mated by  rough  guess  that  the  logs  we  cut  through  or  dragged 
over  numbered  about  twelve  hundred,  and  the  rough  rocks 
(far  worse  than  logs)  that  we  polished  with  our  boat-bottoms 
were  about  as  many  more.  In  the  course  of  nearly  three 
days'  work  on  these  five  miles  of  boating,  it  may  be  believed 
that  we  learned  some  practical  lessons  which  it  will  be  useful 
to  record  for  the  benefit  of  future  navigators.  We  tried  two 
ways  of  getting  along,  as  people  generally  do  in  travelling 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.       189 

u  Jordan  roads ;  "  namely,  first,  the  dainty,  conservative  way, 
and  afterwards,  when  stern  necessity  had  lectured  us  into  an 
accommodating  spirit,  the  "  rough-and-ready  "  way. 

"THE  CONSERVATIVE  WAY. 

"  October  in  the  Canada  wilderness  means  November  in 
New  York,  as  we  found  by  the  snow-squalls  we  encountered 
in  those  three  days.  Of  course  the  water  was  far  from  being 
warm ;  and  of  course  the  ex-clergyman,  editor,  and  financier 
shrank  a  little  from  wetting  their  feet !  We  were  willing  from 
the  start  to  wade  in  water  of  moderate  depth,  say  up  to  the 
ankle,  or  anywhere  below  the  tops  of  our  boots  ;  and  with  only 
this  reservation  we  worked  hard  and  heroically,  and,  to  say 
the  truth,  conquered  many  obstructions  and  got  along  tolerably 
well ;  that  is  to  say,  at  the  rate  perhaps  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
in  half  a  day.  Three  of  us  novices  had  in  charge  the  big 
boat,  with  its  load  of  three  or  four  hundred  pounds ;  and  our 
way  was,  when  we  came  to  a  log  that  could  be  surmounted 
without  chopping,  first  to  run  the  bow  on  as  far  as  we  could 
by  a  vigorous  shove  of  all  hands.  Then  the  man  at  the  bow 
would  step  out  carefully  on  the  log,  so  as  not  to  take  water  into 
his  boots,  and,  the  bow  being  thus  lightened,  the  remainder  of 
the  crew  could  shove  it  further  on.  The  man  on  the  log 
could  not  help  much,  as  his  footing  was  not  secure,  and  he 
had  as  much  as  he  could  do  to  look  out  against  wetting  his 
feet,  and  to  find  a  safe  way  back  to  his  seat  in  the  boat  at  the 
proper  time.  When  we  had  worked  along  till  the  log  was 
under  the  middle  of  the  boat,  the  bow  man  would  get  in,  and 
the  'midship  man  would  get  out,  on  the  log  of  course;  and 
finally,  when  the  balancing  crisis  was  past,  and  the  stern  came 
to  be  the  point  of  friction,  the  'midship  man  would  get  in,  and 
the  man  behind  get  out,  still  on  the  log.  In  this  way  we  kept 
our  feet  partially  dry,  that  is,  dry  as  they  could  be  with  water 
soaking  through  the  leather,  and  running  in  at  cracks  ;  but 
our  progress  was  very  slow.  Night  overtook  us  before  we  had 
accomplished  a  quarter  of  what  we  had  undertaken  as  a  mere 
afternoon's  job  ;  and  Heaven  only  knows  whether  we  should 
have  ever  reached  Salmon  Lake  if  we  had  not  at  last  con- 
cluded to  try  — 


190  NARRATIVES. 


"  THE    ROUGH-AND-READY   WAY. 

"  John  P.  had  charge  of  one  of  the  small  boats,  and  at  the 
same  time  kept  within  hailing  distance  of  the  large  boat,  so 
as  to  assist  the  three  civilians  at  the  worst  pinches.  He  had 
seen  service  of  this  kind  in  other  days,  and  knew  that  the  best 
way  was  to  "  take  the  bull  by  the  horns."  He  laughed  at  our 
policy  of  keeping  the  water  out  of  our  boots  by  balancing  and 
teetering  on  the  logs,  and  set  us  an  example  of  working  on 
firm  footing  at  the  bottom  of  the  creek,  without  regard  to  the 
depth  of  water.  He  reasoned  and  exhorted  and  scolded  ;  and 
slowly  his  radicalism  began  to  prevail  over  our  timidity.  The 
ex-clergyman  (otherwise  called  the  inventor)  first  gave  in  and 
went  to  work  in  John  P.'s  fashion,  without  the  fear  of  wet 
feet  before  his  eyes.  The  financier  soon  followed  suit,  and 
the  ex-editor,  slowly,  reluctantly,  but  finally  with  a  faithful 
willfulness  that  beat  us  all,  adopted  the  simple  policy  of  con- 
sidering cold  water  a  harmless  medium  to  travel  and  work  in, 
favorable  probably  to  health  by  causing  reaction.  Thenceforth 
we  worked  at  boat-shoving  with  free  hands  and  firm  feet,  and 
a  strenuous  heartiness  that  changed  toil  into  sport,  and  carried 
us  triumphantly  through  the  most  tremendous  job  of  uncivil 
engineering  that  three  civilians  ever  undertook.  The  differ- 
ence between  our  first  policy  and  our  last  was,  that  we  began 
with  trying  to  keep  the  water  out  of  our  boots,  and  ended 
with  being  contented  to  keep  it  out  of  our  breeches  pockets ! 

"  After  our  first  conversion  to  the  "  rough-and-ready  "  pol- 
icy, we  had  still  to  learn  an  important  subordinate  lesson  in 
regard  to  the  best  way  of  economizing  vital  heat  in  dealing 
with  the  water  in  our  boots.  At  first  we  imagined  it  was  best 
to  get  rid  of  the  cold  and  incumbrance  of  each  bootful  we 
took  in  as  soon  as  possible  ;  and,  for  this  purpose,  at  every 
opportunity  we  would  sit  down  and  lift  first  one  foot  and  then 
the  other  to  a  position  about  as  high  as  the  head,  and  let  the 
water  run  out  at  the  top  of  the  boots,  taking  care  of  course  to 
keep  the  pantaloons  out  of  the  reach  of  the  torrent ;  as,  other- 
wise, what  left  the  boots  would  run  down  in  the  cloth  tube  to 
the  central  and  posterior  regions  of  the  body.  But  reflection 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      191 

convinced  us  that  this  practice  of  constantly  changing  the  water 
in  our  boots  was  not  wise.  A  bootful  that  has  been  worked 
in  for  some  time  becomes  partially  warm,  and  soon  ceases  to 
be  uncomfortable  so  far  as  temperature  is  concerned.  In  fact 
it  may  be  conceived  of  as  a  kind  of  stocking,  protecting  the 
feet  from  the  colder  water  outside,  and  not  easily  displaced  by 
what  flows  in  at  the  top.  To  turn  out  this  warm  water,  there- 
fore, at  every  opportunity,  and  immediately  take  a  charge  of 
cold  water  in  its  place,  was  a  great  waste  of  vital  heat,  which 
we  finally  learned  to  avoid.  Thus  we  came  at  last  to  work 
right  along  without  paying  any  special  attention  to  our  feet, 
and  found  in  pursuing  this  policy  true  economy  of  force  every 
way,  and  no  ultimate  damage  to  health. or  comfort.*' 

The  party  also  learned  some  other  things  on  this  voyage, 
which  the  same  writer  reports  as  follows :  — 

"  BEAVER    DAMS. 

"  Having  opportunity  for  actual  inspection  of  a  great  num- 
ber of  beaver  dams,  we  got  some  new  ideas  about  them.  Bea- 
vers do  literally  cut  down  trees  and  cut  off  logs.  Their  lower 
front  teeth  are  really  chisels.  We  found  one  that  had  dropped 
out,  probably,  from  the  jaw  of  a  superannuated  beaver.  It 
was  a  curved  tusk,  two  or  three  inches  long,  and,  instead  of 
being  pointed,  was  beveled  off  at  the  end  as  accurately  as 
any  chisel,  and  had  a  true-cutting  edge  of  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  breadth.  We  saw  many  specimens  of  their  work, 
which,  at  a  little  distance,  could  hardly  be  distinguished  from 
axe-cuttings.  Boys'  hatchet-work  would  not  compare  with 
them  for  smoothness. 

"  But  the  idea  that  beavers  build  any  thing  like  a  common" 
human  dam  —  namely,  a  regular  log  structure  or  stockade,  ris- 
ing with  a  steep,  definite  slope  against  the  stream  —  is  a  mis- 
take. Their  dams  are  simply  huge  deposits  of  sticks  and 
mud,  mixed,  and  laid,  apparently  without  much  order,  across 
the  stream.  We  saw  none  that  raised  the  water  more  than 
about  a  foot ;  and  sometimes  the  first  notice  we  had  of  a  dam 
was  from  running  our  boat  aground  in  what  had  appeared  to 
be  deep  and  smooth  water.  Neither  did  we  find  any  confir- 


192  NARRATIVES. 

mation  of  the  popular  statement  that  beavers  strengthen 
their  dams  by  a  curve  or  angle  up-streau.  Some  of  the  dams 
we  saw  were  straight,  and  some  curved  down-stream,  but  not 
one  curved  or  cornered  up-stream. 

u  HOW   TO    '  SHANTY.' 

"  When  night  overtook  us  in  the  midst  of  our  boat-dragging, 
the  old  trapper  would  say,  '  It  is  time  to  shanty.'  By  this 
he  did  not  mean  that  it  was  time  for  us  to  go  into  a  shanty, 
for  there  was  no  shanty  within  miles  of  us.  He  simply  meant 
that  it  was  time  for  us  to  prepare  for  the  night.  The  ap- 
proved method  of  '  shantying '  in  this  sense,  as  we  learned 
it  from  several  experiments  under  Mr.  Hutchins's  instruc- 
tion, shall  be  minutely  described ;  and  ought  to  be  carefully 
studied  by  all  who  are  liable  to  be  caught  out  in  the  woods  in. 
cold  weather,  with  no  lodging-place  but  the  ground  under  the 
stars. 

"  A  party  at  work  or  on  the  march  in  the  woods  ought  to 
stop  and  prepare  for  night  at  least  an  hour  before  dark ;  as  the 
work  to  be  done  •  is  not  trifling,  nor  can  it  be  done  without 
light. 

"  The  first  matter  to  be  attended  to  is  the  selection  of  a 
suitable  place.  Any  smooth  spot  under  the  trees  near  your 
line  of  march  might  seem  to  be  good  enough ;  especially  if 
you  are  tired,  and  shivering  with  wet  feet  and  wet  clothes, 
and  want  fire  and  supper  as  soon  as  possible.  But,  if  you 
choose  thus  in  a  hurry,  you  may  repent.  You  have  a  big 
load  of  substantial  wood  to  prepare  for  your  night's  fire, 
and  you  must  have  reference  to  this  in  locating  your  camp. 
Soft-wood  trees,  such  as  hemlock  and  cedar,  are  good  for 
nothing ;  and  you  must  not  think  of  trusting  to  dead  limbs 
and  brushwood.  A  fire  made  of  these  may  boil  a  pot  and 
give  you  a  momentary  comfort ;  but  what  you  want  is  a  huge, 
solid  log-fire  that  will  take  care  of  you  for  hours  together,  and 
allow  you  to  sleep  in  peace.  You  must  find  a  spot  where  there 
are  hard-wood  trees,  such  as  maple,  beech,  iron-wood,  or 
birch,  which  you  can  fell  right  beside  your  fire-place.  Other- 
wise you  will  have  to  conclude  your  day's  work  with  some 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      193 

of  the  hardest  lugging  that  you  ever  tried.  This  matter  of 
a  good  supply  of  hard,  green  fire-wood  is  first  in  import- 
ance. Next  to  this  it  is  desirable  to  keep  within  moderate 
distance  of  a  stream  or  spring,  as  you  have  the  food  to  cook 
and  the  dishes  to  wash  for  supper  and  breakfast,  and  will 
need  a  good  deal  of  water.  Lastly,  for  a  good  place  to  sleep 
on,  you  must  have  in  front  of  your  fire-place  a  smooth  space, 
nearly  level,  sloping  perhaps  a  little  toward  the  fire,  and  if 
possible  a  little  lower  than  the  fire,  so  that  the  blaze  will  shine 
fairly  over  you  and  cover  you  as  writh  a  blanket. 

"  Having  chosen  your  spot,  one  of  the  party  fells  a  tree  as 
tall  as  can  be  found,  and  ten  inches  or  a  foot  through  ;  cuts 
the  trunk  into  logs  eight  or  ten  feet  long,  and  works  up  the 
top  for  small  wood.  In  the  mean  time  another  man  prepares 
and  drives  two  stout  stakes  into  the  ground  at  the  back  of 
the  fire-place,  about  six  feet  apart,  and  four  feet  high,  bracr 
ing  them  from  behind  with  other  stakes  sloping  into  notches 
near  their  tops.  Three  of  the  biggest  logs  are  now  placed, 
one  upon  another,  against  the  stakes,  forming  a  great  wooden 
chimney-back,  three  or  four  feet  high.  For  andirons  you  find, 
if  possible,  two  large  stones  ;  but,  if  stones  are  scarce,  you  cut 
a  ten-inch  hemlock,  and,  taking  two  short  logs  from  the  butt, 
place  them  against  your  back-logs  at  right  angles  to  them.  On 
these  you  lay  the  fourth  of  your  great  hard- wood  logs ;  and 
thus  you  have  the  foundation  of  your  night's  fire.  While 
some  are  making  these  preparations,  others  ought  to  be  gather- 
ing hemlock  bark  and  dry  limbs  in  great  quantities  to  start 
the  fire,  and  to  enliven  it  from  time  to  time.  Also,  if  neces- 
sary, another  hard-wood  tree  should  be  felled,  that  you  may 
have  one  or  two  extra  logs  to  put  on  towards  morning. 

"  The  kindling  of  a  fire  in  the  woods,  especially  in  a  hard 
rain,  requires  some  science.  A  good  way  is  to  find  a  dead 
cedar  or  other  soft-wood  tree  that  leans  to  the  south.  The 
wood  and  bark  on  the  sunny  side  of  such  a  tree  is  sure  to  be 
dry.  Split  off  some  strips,  and  reduce  them  to  fine  whitlings 
with  your  jack-knife,  under  your  coat  or  other  cover ;  and, 
with  careful  manipulation  of  matches  and  kindling  stuff,  you 
will  soon  have  a  roaring  fire  under  and  over  the  great  lore- 
is 


194  NARRATIVES. 

stick,  that  will  defy  the  rain.  Hemlock  or  pine  bark,  taken 
fsom  dead  trees,  is  excellent  fuel  for  an  incipient  fire.  But  it 
must  be  laid  on  carefully  in  cob-house  fashion,  with  the  out- 
side next  the  fire.  After  a  while,  the  furious  blaze  you 
have  started  with  light  material  will  get  possession  of  the 
great  green  logs,  and  then  the  fire  will  take  care  of  itself 
for  hours.  Almost  literally  it  shall  be  to  you  a  '  wall  of  fire  ' 
through  the  long  cold-night. 

"  Now  hang  on  the  kettle  for  supper.  This  is  easily  done 
by  cutting  a  pole  ten  or  fifteen  feet  long,  sharpening  the  large 
end,  and  thrusting  it  obliquely  into  the  ground  back  of  your 
fire-place,  so  that  the  small  part  will  rest  on  the  top  back-stick, 
and  the  end  will  project  over  the  fire.  A  twig  left  at  the 
proper  place  will  prevent  the  kettle  from  slipping. 

44  All  that  remains,  to  make  ready  for  sleep,  is  to  prepare 
your  bed.  For  this,  hemlock  or  cedar  boughs  will  do  ;  but 
balsam  boughs  are  the  best.  The  handiest  way  is  to  cut  down 
a  good-sized  balsam-tree  near  jrour  camp,  and  strip  off  its  top 
brush  either  with  your  jack-knife  or  hatchet.  This  bed- 
material  must  not  be  tumbled  into  the  sleeping-place  pell-mell  ; 
but  must  be  carefully  packed,  bough  by  bough,  by  thrusting 
the  stick-ends  into  and  under  the  mass,  and  leaving  the  brush- 
ends  to  shingle  over  each  other,  like  the  feathers  of  a  bird.  If 
you  neglect  this,  you  must  expect  to  roll  and  groan  on  hard 
sticks,  instead  of  sleeping  quietly  on  tree  feathers.  You  sleep, 
of  course,  in  your  blanket,  with  your  boots  for  your  pillow,  and 
with  your  feet  to  the  fire.  If  *  the  stars  look  kindly  down  ' 
upon  you,  no  matter  how  cold  the  weather  is.  You  can  sleep 
within  the  magic  circle  of  that  Cyclopean  fire,  though  the 
water  freezes  hard  in  your  water-pail  at  a  little  distance. 

"  But  what  if  it  rains  ?  Then  the  party  must  put  their 
blankets  into  common  stock,  extemporize  a  shelter-tent  with 
one  or  two  of  them,  and  sleep  as  well  as  they  can  under  the 
rest,  spread  bed-fashion.  For  the  frame-work  of  the  tent  you 
can  cut  five  or  six  fish-poles,  and  thrust  their  large  ends  ob- 
liquely into  the  ground  at  the  head  of  your  bed,  so  that  they 
slope  up  over  the  place  where  you  are  to  lie,  like  the  rafters 
of  a  roof.  You  fasten  the  upper  ends  with  strings  to  a  trans- 


EXPEDITION  TO   THE   LAURENTIAN  HILLS.       195 

verse  fish-pole  ;  and  then  you  spread  the  blankets  on  the  raf- 
ters, and  fasten  them  by  pinning  them  to  the  transverse  pole 
and  to  each  other  at  the  middle  edges. 

"  N.  B.  —  Beware  of  exposing  cotton  fixings  of  any  kind  to 
the  contingencies  of  a  great  open  fire,  with  the  winds  busy 
and  the  sparks  flying." 

The  third  day  of  the  voyage,  about  noon,  we  reached  the 
open  waters  of  Salmon  Lake,  and  never  was  a  sight  more 
welcome  to  tired  travellers. 

SALMON    LAKE 

Is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  six  or  eight  miles  long  and 
from  one  to  two  miles  wide.  So  far  as  we  explored,  we  found 
it  surrounded  by  an  unbroken  wilderness,  excepting  two  small 
clearings  formerly  made  by  trappers  and  two  deserted  shan- 
ties. Two  miles  from  where  we  located,  there  was  a  lumber 
shanty  and  a  company  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 

HOW    WE    LIVED    AT    SALMON    LAKE.      . 

This  is  told  in  a  letter  written  by  one  of  the  party,  as 
follows :  — 

"  AT  BOB  HOLLAND'S  OLD  SHANTY,     ) 
"  Salmon  Lake,  C.  W.,  October  21, 1865.  ) 

"  DEAR  FRIENDS,  —  Human  society  is,  after  all,  but  a  great 
human  body.  The  head  and  trunk  and  vital  organs  may  be 
represented  by  the  civilized  and  enlightened  portions  of  man- 
kind, —  those  portions  where  intercommunication  is  the  most 
close  and  continuous,  where  the  moving  forces  are  generated, 
and  the  highest  workings  of  thought  and  feeling  are  developed 
and  educated.  But  this  great  human  body  stretches  its  hands 
and  feet  out  into  the  wilderness,  where  only  the  Indian,  the 
pioneer,  the  trapper,  and  the  lumberman  are  to  be  found  ;  and 
where  hardihood,  and  battle  with  the  elements,  the  forests,  and 
the  animals  are  the  required  and  the  prominent  facts  of  life. 
Here  the  circulating  fluids  move  slowly,  the  lines  of  communi- 
cation are  far  between,  and  the  cuticle  is  thick  and  tough.  The 
pulsations  of  the  great  heart  are  felt,  but  they  are  minute  and 
feeble.  The  railroad  has  afar  off  given  place  to  the  stage- 


196  NARRATIVES. 

route,  the  stage-route  to  the  lumber-road,  the  lumber-road  to 
the  blazed  foot-path  of  the  trapper  and  pioneer.  The  school- 
house  is  far  beyond  the  horizon.  The  'newspaper,  that  indis- 
pensability  of  the  interior  and  superior  regions  of  the  body, 
reaches  here  only  by  accident  and  rarely.  The  sun  here 
rises  over  the  forest-crowned  hills  of  the  east,  looks  all  day 
long  on  vast  tracts  of  woodland,  on  clear-blue  lakes  wood- 
encircled,  on  solitary  shanties,  where  solitary  men,  or  perhaps 
a  man  and  a  woman  and  some  children,  try  to  solve  their 
problems  of  life  ;  looks  through  forest-branches  perhaps  on  the 
dingy  form  of  some  solitary  trapper,  who  wanders  by  shaded 
streams  and  sleeps  by  his  log-fire ;  and  then  it  sets  beyond  the 
forest-crowned  hills  of  the  west.  Here  is  where  the  hands 
and  feet  of  humanity  are  found  as  it  comes  to  take  possession 
of  the  earth.  Those  extremities  are  worth  coming  to  see,  — 
worth  getting  acquainted  with,  —  worth  appreciating.  *  The 
eye  cannot  say  unto  the  hand,  "  I  have  no  need  of  thee  ;  "  nor 
again  the  head  to  the  feet,  "  I  have  no  need  of  you."  '  We 
are  all  members  one  of  another,'  and  should  '  remember  those 
in  bonds/  or  in  the  wilderness  and  extremities  of  society,  fc  as 
bound  with  them.' 

"  BEYOND    COCK-CROWING    AND    THE    COW-BELLS. 

"  An  Qneida  correspondent  raises  the  query  whether  we 
have,  after  all,  got  beyond  hearing  the  '  crowing  of  the  rooster 
or  the  tinkle  of  the  cow-bells.'  Our  friends  need  give  them- 
selves no  anxiety  on  this  point.  The  rocks  and  hills  of  this  re- 
gion (Salmon  Lake)  are  as  free  from  the  sound  of  the  church- 
going  and  cow-going  bells  as  the  valleys  and  rocks  of  Robin- 
son Crusoe's  island ;  and  the  cry  of  no  fowl  more  domestic  in 
its  habits  than  the  loon  ever  echoed  from  these  shores.  Soli- 
tary human  beings  have  sojourned  here  in  former  years.  The 
old  shanty  which  we  temporarily  occupy  was  once  occupied 
by  a  trapper  noted  in  these  regions.  This  shanty  is  eight  feet 
by  ten,  with  an  average  height  of  five  feet.  There  is  an  un- 
finished shanty  of  more  ambitious  proportions  a  few  feet  in  the 
rear.  On  the  opposite  shore  is  an  unoccupied  log-hut.  At 
the  other  end  of  the  lake  there  is  a  new  lumber  shanty,  which 


EXPEDITION  TO   THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      197 

is  now  occupied  by  twenty  or  thirty  lumbermen.  The  sound 
of  the  great  trees  falling  on  the  distant  hill-sides,  reminding 
one  of  the  reports  of  far-off  cannon,  and  the  occasional  ap- 
pearance of  one  of  the  shantymen's  red  canoes  passing  under 
the  shadows  of  the  cedars  on  the  eastern  shores,  are  the  prin- 
cipal evidences  that  other  human  beings  are  near  us. 

"  ELEVEN    DAYS    ON    SALMON    LAKE. 

"  We  have  now  been  at  Salmon  Lake  about  eleven  days. 
They  have  been  days  of  active  campaigning.  We  have  had 
to  secure  means  and  routes  of  regular  communication  with  the 
outside  world,  bring  up  our  baggage,  select  ground  for  our 
home-shanty,  and  commence  the  building  of  that  structure  ; 
had  to  do  what  we  could  in  the  way  of  securing  a  supply  of 
fish,  and  attend  to  the  daily  duties  of  the  camp-kitchen  and 
quartermaster's  department.  I  do  not  know  that  the  details  of 
any  of  these  operations  can  be  given  in  a  way  to  make  them 
specially  interesting  to  you.  Still  there  are  some  things  that 
I  will  note.  First,  as  to  the 

"  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT. 

"  I  judge  that  it  has  been  seldom  that  five  men  (three  of 
them  six-footers,  or  thereabouts)  have  occupied  more  limited 
quarters  than  have  we  for  the  last  week.  The  old  shanty 
which  we  inhabit  measures  eight  feet  by  ten  on  the  floor,  and 
is  five  feet  high  under  the  middle  of  its  shed  roof.  In  one 
corner  is  a  stone  fire-place,  which  discharges  its  smoke  through 
a  square  hole  in  the  roof.  Between  the  fire-place  and  the 
door  is  a  space  about  two  feet  and  a  half  by  three,  sunk  a  little 
lower  than  the  average  of  the  shanty  floor,  in  which  the  cook 
can  stand  to  prepare  the  meals,  and  in  which  our  shortest 
man,  Mr.  Campbell,  can  stand  upright.  The  remainder  of 
the  floor  is  covered  with  balsam-boughs  for  a  common  bed. 
We  can  just  crowd  on  to  this  bed  (five  of  us)  at  night,  \*y 
stretching  ourselves  spoon-fashion,  with  our  heads  on  a  log- 
pillow  and  our  feet  to  the  fire.  It  is  rather  a  difficult  matter 
for  one  to  turn  over  without  a  simultaneous  movement  of  the 
whole  corps.  By  4  moving  careful,'  however,  and  with  mill- 


198  NARRATIVES. 

tary  precision,  the  thing  can  be  done.  To  lie  out  straight  on 
one's  back,  between  the  heels  and  knees,  and  other  protuber- 
ances of  the  sleepers  on  either  side,  is  an  equally  difficult 
operation.  Notwithstanding  the  smallness  of  our  quarters,  we 
are  not  troubled  with  the  ventilation  question.  Our  door  is 
an  old  coat,  which  swings  freely  in  the  breeze,  and  rather  as- 
sists the  draught  of  the  chimney ;  besides  which,  there  are  vari- 
ous crevices  in  the  walls  and  roof,  where  the  moss  and  chink- 
ing have  tumbled  out,  that  give  unimpeded  entrance  to  the 
air,  and  exit  to  the  surplus  smoke.  Across  the  shanty,  just  in 
front  of  the  fire  and  over  the  foot  of  the  bed,  Mr.  N.  has 
placed  a  seat,  which  we  call  the  *  deacon's  seat.'  In  front  of 
this,  we  erect  a  table  at  meal-time  by  placing  a  single  leg  un- 
der one  end  of  a  short  hemlock  slab,  and  inserting  the  other 
end  between  the  logs  of  the  shanty.  It  is  crowding  work  to 
get  round  at  evening  and  morning,  or  on  rainy  days,  when 
baking  and  cooking  are  going  on,  and  the  table  is  being  set. 
Yet  we  manage  to  keep  good-natured,  and  enjoy  it.  Even 
such  limited  quarters  are  preferable,  in  the  cool  nights  and 
days  of  late  October,  to  the  open  camp  in  the  woods,  and  we 
have  been  thankful  for  their  temporary  use." 

By  this  time  we  had  our  home-shanty  about  half  built,  and 
were  contemplating  a  vigorous  trapping  campaign.  We  were 
looking  the  long  Canada  winter  in  the  face,  and  rejoicing  in 
the  prospect  of  a  battle  with  it.  John  P.  had  begun  to  set 
traps,  and  in  the  course  of  two  nights  had  caught  a  fine  mink 
and  ten  muskrats.  We  had  selected  a  beautiful  location  on 
the  north  shore  of  the  lake  for  a  winter  home.  Rowing, 
spearing  fish,  felling  trees,  and  shanty  building  had  succeeded 
to  the  arduous  toils  of  the  voyage  through  the  terrible  "  Out- 
let." The  signs  of  game  were  rather  scarce  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  lake,  but  our  plans  were  to  run  lines  of  traps 
far  back  into  the  northern  woods,  where  mink,  marten,  and 
beaver  were  supposed  to  exist  in  abundance.  At  this  junct- 
ure it  became  evident  that  the  health  of  our  captain  was  not 
equal  to  the  execution  of  the  campaign  he  had  planned.  For 
most  of  the  time  since  reaching  McK.'s  he  had  been  partially 
disabled.  Now,  just  as  we  were  building  our  shanty  and  pre- 


EXPEDITION   TO   THE   LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      199 

paring  for  effective  trapping,  and  were  relying  on  him  for  lead- 
ership, he  was  prostrated  for  nearly  two  days,  and  unable  to  do 
any  thing.  A  due  consideration  of  his  condition,  of  the  fact 
that  we  were  all  novices  in  trapping  except  John  P.,  and  of  the 
unfavorable  indications  of  the  region  as  to  fur,  led  us  to  resolve 
on  a  retreat  and  a  "  change  of  base."  J.  H.  N.  tells  the  story 
of  his 

LAST    DAY    IN    CAMP, 

as  follows :  — 

"  I  was  left  alone  in  camp  three  or  four  days  on  account  of 
a  sore  hand.  In  the  first  place  I  blistered  it  by  chopping  and 
paddling,  and  finally  it  became  so  bad  that  I  could  do  neither 
with  any  comfort.  So  I  stayed  at  home  to  be  cook  and  maid 
of  all  work.  I  had  remained  there  two  or  three  days,  leading 
very  much  such  a  life  as  Robinson  Crusoe  is  reported  to  have 
done.  The  other  men  were  off  about  two  miles,  and  I  had 
the  whole  shanty  to  myself,  which  was  not  a  very  great  do- 
main. It  was  generally  perfectly  still,  —  not  a  sound  to  be 
heard.  The  slightest  crackle  was  a  startling  event.  I  would 
jump  up  and  look  out  to  see  what  was  coining,  and  perhaps 
it  would  prove  to  be  a  red  squirrel,  which  would  peer  in- 
through  some  hole  in  the  shanty,  and  watch  my  movements- 
Several  times  a  great  bird  flew  over  which  I  was  unacquainted 
with.  I  learned  afterwards  that  it  was  a  raven.  They  are- 
very  much  like  crows,  only  larger,  and  with  a  voice  somewhat 
different  from  that  of  the  croV.  In  order  to  get  along  com- 
fortably I  had  to  talk  to  myself  a  great  deal.  On  the  last 
day  of  my  stay,  J.  P.  Hutchins  left  in  my  charge  certain  tasks 
to  be  performed.  For  one  thing,  having  caught  ten  muskrats, 
he  wanted  me  to  put  the  skins  on  stretchers.  Then  John 
Hutchins  the  elder,  in  the  dawn  of  the  morning,  when  you 
could  hardly  distinguish  one  thing  from  another,  shot  an  ani- 
mal which  proved  to  be  a  skunk.  It  was  a  large  one,  covered 
with  fat ;  and  they  left  it  in  my  charge  to  get  the  fat  off  and 
try  it  out  for  domestic  purposes.  We  had  been  troubled  for 
the  want  of  light,  and  on  killing  the  skunk  it  occurred  to 
them  that  it  was  a  fine  opportunity  to  get  some  oil  for  our 
lamps.  I  commenced,  my  day's  work  by  washing  up 


200  NARRATIVES. 

dishes.  By  '  dishes '  I  do  not  mean  such  as  are  found  at  crock- 
ery stores.  We  had  just  got  our  tin  plates.  (Previously  we 
had  eaten  off  cedar  shingles,  with  wooden  spoons.)  Then  I 
mended  my  pantaloons,  which  had  sustained  a  damage  one 
night  before,  while  I  was  lying  near  the  fire  in  one  of  the 
Canton-flannel  bags  that  Mr.  Newhouse  recommended.  Just 
as  I  was  going  to  sleep  I  felt  something  biting  or  stinging  my 
legs,  and,  on  looking,  found  that  I  was  on  fire.  With  some 
difficulty  we  put  it  out,  after  a  large  hole  was  burned  in  the 
bag,  and  two  small  ones  in  my  pantaloons.  So,  as  I  said,  I 
proceeded  to  patch  these  holes.  After  that  I  took  hold  of  the 
business  of  making  a  bag  of  my  blanket.  I  like  the  idea  of  a 
bag  to  sleep  in,  but  it  ought  not  to  be  made  of  cotton.  Mr. 
Pitt  hung  up  his  overalls  one  night  before  the  fire  to  dry,  and 
when  he  got  up  the  next  morning  only  a  few  little  pieces  and 
the  buttons  were  left.  We  found  that  cotton  clothing  about  a 
camp-fire  is  too  liable  to  get  burned  up.  So  I  took  my  woolen 
blanket  and  sewed  it  up  into  a  regular  sack,  which  I  liked 
very  much.  After  that  I  went  through  the  work  of  put- 
ting the  muskrat-skins  on  the  stretchers.  Then  I  went  and 
got  the  fat  off  the  skunk,  and  tried  it  out  in  one  of  our 
spiders  or  sauce-pans,  and  made  a  little  tin  tunnel  and  put  the 
oil  into  a  bottle.  Then  I  put  the  sauce-pan  into  the  fire  and 
heated  it  red-hot,  to  take  out  the  odor  of  the  skunk.  That 
was  my  last  work.  By  this  time  it  was  pretty  well  along  in 
the  afternoon.  I  sat  down  and  began  to  study. 

"It  was  evident  from  the  failing  health  of  John  Hutchins, 
on  whom  we  had  relied  as  the  captain  of  the  expedition,  but 
whose  advanced  age  and  former  hardships  in  the  army  and 
the  woods,  by  flood  and  field,  now  told  on  him,  and  from  the 
comparative  scarcity  of  game  both  for  food  and  fur  in  the  dis- 
trict where  we  were,  that  t-he  trapping  part  of  the  enterprise 
would  not  be  made  to  pay.  We  had  had  the  advantage  of  a 
month's  "roughing  it"  in  the  woods,  and  had  established 
communication  with  frontiermen  on  their  own  ground ;  and  it 
appeared  clear  that  our  true  course  now  was  to  get  out  of  the 
woods  and  fall  back  upon  the  second  object  of  the  expedition, 
namely,  the  buying  of  furs.  I  accordingly  advised  a  retreat 


EXPEDITION  TO   THE   LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      201 

of  the  party  towards  the  settlements  on  the  Hastings  Road, 
and  the  next  day  left  myself  for  the  4  States.' ' 

THE    RETREAT. 

Two  days  were  spent  in  repacking  our  baggage,  transporting 
it  across  Salmon  Lake,  and  down  through  Gull  Lake  to  the  foot 
of  the  latter,  and  then  we  were  ready  to  return  to  McKillican's. 
We  had  discovered  a  new  route  to  Salmon  Lake,  one  by 
which  a  greater  part  of  the  labor  and  trouble  of  the  Bass  Lake 
passage  might  have  been  avoided.  Four  miles  from  our  shanty, 
at  the  foot  of  Gull  Lake,  were  Canniff 's  Mills  ;  and  from  thence 
a  tolerable  road  connected  with  the  Hastings  Road  five  miles 
below  McKillican's.  We  had  been  unable  to  learn  any  thing 
satisfactory  about  this  route  till  after  we  had  got  to  the  lake. 
Our  provisions  and  baggage  had  been  brought  round  to  Can- 
niff's  by  wagon.  They  were  to  go  back  by  the  same  con- 
veyance. Our  baggage  being  all  safely  stored  in  Canniff 's 
mill,  we  packed  our  shoulder  baskets,  shouldered  our  rifles, 
and  started  on  a  seven-mile  tramp  through  the  woods  to  Mc- 
Killican's. On  arriving  at  the  Hastings  Road,  we  at  once  be- 
gan to  organize  for  the  fur-buying  campaign.  Mr.  Noyes  had 
gone  home.  Mr.  Hutchins  and  John  P.  left  soon  after  for  the 
same  destination.  Messrs.  Campbell  and  Pitt  remained  to  buy 
furs.  They  were  soon  after  joined  by  Mr.  Newhouse,  and 
two  months  were  spent  very  pleasantly  tramping  over  the 
rough  roads  and  through  the  snows.  Of  this  kind  of  travel 
the  writer  performed  about  four  hundred  miles.  We  formed 
an  extensive  and  pleasant  acquaintance  with  all  the  leading 
trappers  of  the  region,  who  are  a  class  of  interesting  men. 
We  bought  nearly  a  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  furs,  the  pro- 
fits on  which  were  not  quite  sufficient  to  cover  the  expenses 
of  the  whole  campaign.  We  returned  to  our  Oneida  home 
the  last  week  in  December,  hearty  and  strong.  In  its  health- 
producing  results  the  expedition  had  paid  many  fold  for  all  it 
had  otherwise  cost.  In  looking  back  upon  it,  in  view  of  all 
its  benefits  in  this  respect,  the  physical  and  spiritual  heroism 
which  it  developed,  three  of  our  number  at  least  —  the  in- 
ventor, the  ex-financier  and  the  ex-editor  —  will  always  re- 


202  NARRATIVES. 

member  it  with  thankfulness.     I  will  conclude  my  history  of 
the  expedition  with  a  dissertation  by  J.  H.  N.  on  the 

"  MIRAGES    OF  THE  SPORTING    WORLD. 

"  The  visions  of  far-off  cities,  palaces,  gardens,  fountains,  and 
lakes  that  beguile  the  tired  and  thirsty  pilgrims  of  the  desert 
are  probably  but  tame  and  rare  illusions  compared  with  those 
that  lure  hunters,  fishermen,  and  trappers,  or  the  myriads  of 
men  and  boys  all  over  the  world  that  would  be  such,  on  and 
on,  year  after  year,  in  the  pursuit  of  boundless  successes  that 
are  always  looming  in  the  distance,  but  are  never  reached. 
For  one,  I  confess  that  ever  since  I  was  ten  years  old  I  have 
been  seeking  from  time  to  time,  in  all  directions  and  by  many 
wearisome  excursions,  for  that  paradise  of  sportsmen  where 
one  can  bag  the  nicest  game  in  any  quantities  "  as  fast  as  he 
can  load  and  fire,"  or  where  he  can  catch  bass  or  trout  of  any 
desirable  size  "  as  fast  as  he  can  put  in  his  hook  ; "  but  I  have 
never  found  it !  The  exact  spot  has  been  pointed  out  again 
and  again  by  very  credible  informants ;  but  always,  when  I 
have  reached  it,  there  has  been  some  mistake  about  it.  Either 
I  had  come  a  few  days  too  soon,  or  a  few  days  too  late ;  or 
the  desired  region  was  a  few  miles  further  on,  or  off  to  the 
right  or  left,  or  even  back  of  where  I  started ;  or  somebody 
had  got  in  before  me,  and  had  just  disappeared  with  the  load 
of  luck  that  I  expected ;  or  the  weather  was  wrong ;  or  the 
time  of  day  was  wrong ;  or  I  had  not  the  right  kind  of  tools 
and  tackle.  Thus  in  one  way  or  another,  as  a  sportsman,  I 
have  never  got  much  beyond  moderate  luck,  with  hard  work 
and  hard  fare ;  and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
sporting  world  is  full  of  mirages,  that  ought  to  be  exposed  and 
expounded  for  the  benefit  of  rising  generations. 

J4 1  do  not  believe  that  my  indifferent  success  is  owing  alto- 
gether to  individual  bad  luck  or  bad  management,  but  that  it 
is  an  average  sample  of  general  experience.  I  hear  the  same 
story  from  multitudes  of  amateurs  (told  of  course  in  their 
lucid  intervals),  and  even  from  old  Nimrods.  John  P.  Hutch- 
ins  said  that  he  "never  got  through  a  trapping  campaign 
without  wondering  at  himself  that  he  should  be  such  a  fool  as 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      203 

to  leave  a  good  home  and  a  civilized  business  to  plunge  him- 
self into  a  purgatory  of  unspeakable  hardships  for  small  profits 
and  little  sport."  And  even  his  father,  tough  as  he  is  in 
muscle  and  story-telling,  said  nearly  the  same  thing. 

"  The  illusions  that  cover  the  sporting  world  come  mostly 
from  the  inveterate  bragging  and  exaggerations  of  sportsmen 
themselves.  The  old  hunter  tells  all  he  can,  and  more  than 
he  can  truthfully,  of  his  exploits ;  and  says  as  little  as  possible 
of  his  failures,  and  the  miseries  which  his  successes  cost  him. 
Thus  the  mirage  rises,  and  they  who  are  deceived  by  it,  in 
their  turn,  learn  to  brag  of  their  exploits  and  conceal  their 
failures;  and  so  the  deception  passes  on  from  man  to  man, 
and  from  generation  to  generation. 

"  I  mean  to  step  out  of  this  practice,  and  tell  some  things 
about  our  Canada  expedition  that  will  tend  to  sober  the  ex- 
pectations of  novices,  and  put  them  on  their  guard  against 
inflated  reports  and  promises  of  sport. 

"  We  went  to  Canada  in  full  expectation  of  being  able  to 
get  plenty  of  venison  and  fish  for  our  winter  supplies.  When 
we  came  away,  all  hopes  of  getting  these  provisions  had  van- 
ished, and  we  had  found  it  necessary  to  borrow  meat  of  our 
neighbors,  the  lumberers,  and  were  about  to  send  to  Montreal 
for  a  barrel  of  mess-pork  ! 

"  Our  illusions  vanished  one  after  another  in  this  fashion. 
We  were  told  that  at  Bass  Lake  we  could  catch  fine,  large 
bass  in  any  quantities,  either  by  drop-line  or  trolling.  We 
fished  patiently  with  drop-lines  at  various  times  for  hours  to- 
gether, and  got  one  nibble  !  We  trolled  the  lake  up  and  down 
with  two  boats,  and  caught  one  bass  of  perhaps  a  pound 
weight ! 

"  We  were  told  that  at  Salmon  Lake,  during  a  week  or  ten 
days  after  the  8th  of  October,  we  should  find  myriads  of  sal- 
mon-trout on  their  spawning  beds  every  evening,  and  could 
spear  boat-loads  of  them  and  salt  them  down  for  winter  use. 
We  had  prepared  two  excellent  spears  and  a  jack  ;  and  we 
worked  hard  to  gather  "  fat  pine  ;  "  and  we  laid  in  a  store  of 
salt.  But  we  had  no  success  in  finding  fish,  except  on  one 
night,  and  then  only  in  moderate  numbers.  All  wo  caught 


204  NARRATIVES. 

were  ten  trout,  averaging  perhaps  two  pounds  apiece,  and  one 
fine  one  of  over  twelve  pounds.  We  had  no  occasion  to  salt 
them,  as  five  of  us  easily  disposed  of  them  otherwise  in  the 
course  of  a  week. 

"  We  were  told  that  we  could  kill  all  the  deer  that  we  should 
want  for  the  winter.  The  understanding  was  that,  just  before 
freezing  time,  we  should  lay  in  our  stock.  I  asked  how  many 
deer  would  probably  be  a  fair  supply  for  the  party.  The  an- 
swer was,  '  About  twenty.'  Such  were  our  expectations. 
The  reality  was  this :  Our  party  had  the  opportunity  of  see- 
ing at  a  distance  the  chase  and  killing  of  two  deer  in  Bass 
Lake,  by  resident  hunters.  These  were  all  the  deer  that  were 
taken  in  Bass  Lake  or  in  Salmon  Lake  within  our  sight  and 
hearing,  or  within  our  knowledge  by  rumor,  during  the  whole 
of  our  twenty  days  on  the  hunting  grounds.  The  dogs  were 
baying  frequently,  and  hunters  did  their  best,  but  no  more 
deer  were  taken.  We  had  not  the  slightest  chance  of  killing 
any  in  the  usual  way  by  running  them  into  the  lakes,  as  our 
dog  was  only  a  puppy  that  was  more  likely  to  lose  himself 
than  to  find  deer.  As  to  the  chance  of  getting  venison  by  the 
*  still  hunt,'  that  is  by  shooting  deer  in  the  woods,  there  was 
little  encouragement,  as  our  party  only  saw  one  on  land 
during  all  our  journeyings. 

"'But  how  about  bears?  You  didn't  kill  any,  of  course,  but 
did  you  see  or  hear  of  any'?  Well,  I  will  tell  you  all  about 
bears.  We  expected  to  have  something  to  do  with  them,  and 
provided  ourselves  with  a  couple  of  Newhouse's  famous  bear- 
traps  ;  but  we  did  not  set  them,  and  of  course  did  not  catch 
any.  We  saw  scratches  on  a  stump,  which  Mr.  Hutchins  pro- 
nounced to  be  the  work  of  a  bear's  claws  made  for  sport,  as  a 
cat  airs  her  hooks  sometimes  by  scratching.  One  night,  when 
we  were  camping  out,  Mr.  Pitt  heard  a  terrible  noise  that  he 
thought  bad  enough  to  be  a  bear's  growl ;  but  it  proved  to  be 
the  complaint  of  an  owl.  And,  to  conclude,  we  had  a  view 
—  in  fact,  rather  too  near  a  view  —  of  a  grisly  skeleton  of  a 
bear,  lying  by  the  side  of  the  path  leading  from  our  Crusoe 
shanty  to  the  lake,  —  a  relic  left  us  by  some  previous  hunter 
and  the  ravens.  That  was  the  nearest  we  came  to  seeing  a 
bear. 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  LAURENTIAN  HILLS.      205 

" '  To  cut  the  matter  short,  What  did  you  shoot'  ?  I  killed  a 
partridge  and  a  pigeon.  Mr.  Pitt  killed  several  red  squirrels 
(which,  cooked  with  some  dried  beef  for  want  of  salt,  made 
an  excellent  stew).  John  P.  killed  some  squirrels  and  a  par- 
tridge. Mr.  Hutchins  killed  a  skunk.  Besides  these,  we  hit 
several  paper  marks,  and  some  we  did  not  hit.  This  is  a 
true  account  of  our  hunting  and  fishing  down  to  the  time  of 
our  '  change  of  base  '  and  my  departure  for  the  States. 

"  A  tender  conscience  and  compassion  for  the  inexperienced 
prompts  these  confessions.  Of  course  the  veterans  can  do  bet- 
ter. They  have  had  their  say,  and  will  get  more  credit  than 
we  greenhorns  any  way.  All  ears  are  open  to  them.  As  a 
counterpoise  to  their  exciting  stories,  we  feel  bound  to  leave  it 
as  our  last  word  to  amateur  hunters  and  trappers,  that  they 
should  not  set  their  hearts  on  external  success  and  pleasure, 
but  rather  on  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  hard  discipline. 
In  that  case,  we  can  assure  them  that  they  will  not  be  disap- 
pointed." 


APPENDIX. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP. 

BY  G.  W.  NOTES. 


MOUNT  with  me,  friendly  reader,  the  winged  horse  of  imag- 
ination for  a  trip  towards  the  sunset.  Away  we  speed,  by  the 
bustling  towns  and  cities  of  the  West,  by  the  gulfward-rolling 
Mississippi,  by  the  fertile  prairies  of  Iowa  and  the  plains  of 
Nebraska,  by  the  fringe  of  squatter  settlements  that  bound 
civilization  in  that  direction,  and  by  the  final  hunter's  cabin 
that  projects,  a  faint  landmark  of  repose,  into  the  encircling 
wilderness.  On  again  five  hundred  miles  further.  We  are 
now  among  the  buffaloes ;  and  yet  another  five  hundred  in  a 
northwesterly  direction  places  us  somewhere  in  the  region  of 
the  head  waters  of  three,  or  perhaps  four,  great  river  systems, 
those  of  the  Missouri,  the  Columbia,  the  Saskatchewan,  and 
Mackenzie's  River  ;  having  their  several  outlets  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  the  Pacific  Ocean,  the  North  Atlantic,  and  the  Polar 
Sea :  a  wild  and  solitary  place.  On  one  side,  snow-capped 
mountains  rise  in  desolate  grandeur  to  a  height  of  15,000  feet. 
Dark  forests  belt  the  landscape,  where  streams,  issuing  from 
deep  gorges  in  the  hills,  break  to  the  level  of  the  plains  below. 
Follow  this  rocky  canon  to  where  its  stream  and  bed  widen 
into  a  marsh.  We  are  now  among  the  haunts  of  the  beaver, 
otter,  and  mink.  We  deem  ourselves  the  only  human  visitants 
of  this  remote  place.  But  look  !  a  moccasin  track  in  the  sand 
tells  us  that  some  one  has  been  here  before  us.  Its  course  is 
toward  the  margin  of  yonder  sluggish  pool ;  and,  as  we  yet 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP.  207 

trace  the  steps  with  our  eye,  click  !  a  clash  of  steel,  and  the 
heavy  plunge  of  an  animal  in  the  water,  struggling  between 
iron  jaws  at  the  end  of  an  iron  chain,  tell  at  once  the  story  of 
the  Rocky  Mountain  trapper  and  his  game. 

If  not  tired  with  this  jaunt,  allow  a  year  to  pass,  and  then, 
on  the  same  handy  roadster  as  before,  fly  with  me  a  similar 
journey  in  the  opposite  direction.  We  alight  at  one  of  the 
great  European  capitals  ;  let  it  be  London.  It  is  night ;  the 
glitter  of  gas  and  glass  around  us,  the  whirl  of  fashion  and  the 
roar  of  trade,  with  the  miles  of  crowded  pavement  that 
stretch  away  on  every  side,  almost  obliterate  the  conception 
of  such  a  thing  as  rural  nature,  to  say  nothing  of  primitive 
forest  solitude.  Here  in  the  aristocratic  West  End,  a  mansion 
door  opens  ;  a  lady,  robed  and  protected  d  la  mode  (for  the 
night  is  cool),  and  attended  by  powdered  footmen,  advances, 
enters  a  coroneted  carriage,  and  rolls  off  to  opera  or  court. 

Do  you  see  any  connection  between  these  two  incidents  of 
antipodal  real  life  ?  None  is  obvious,  certainly  ;  yet,  on  noting 
the  lady's  costume,  a  tie  of  association  is  at  once  established ; 
for  that  London  dame  this  moment  presses  against  her  delicate 
cheek  the  fur  of  the  animal  whose  death-plunge  we  heard  in 
the  mountain  stream  of  the  Northwest.  Thus,  between  my 
lady  the  Duchess  and  the  Oregonian  trapper,  between  the 
Saskatchewan  and  the  Strand,  there  is  a  chain  of  relations  of 
which  the  middle  link,  both  locally  and  causatively,  is  the 
Oneida  Community  Trap-Shop.  If  you  had  examined  the 
trap  whose  snap  was  fatal  to  the  mink  on  our  first  flight,  and 
whose  spoils  you  saw  adorning  European  loveliness  in  our 
second,  you  would  probably  have  found  stamped  on  its  steel 
spring  the  words,  "  S.  Newhouse,  Oneida  Community,  N.  Y." 

The  extraordinary  growth  of  trapping  as  an  occupation 
within  the  last  ten  years,  stimulated  in  part  by  the  remuner- 
ative price  of  furs,  and  in  part  by  the  ever- extending  arc  of 
frontier  settlements  at  the  West,  but  still  more  perhaps  by  the 
improvement  in  the  manufacture  of  traps  made  by  the  Com- 
munity under  the  supervision  of  its  chief  in  that  department, 
Mr.  Sewell  Newhouse,  will  justify  us  in  giving  a  sketch  of 
the  history  of  the  trap  business  and  of  its  founder. 


208  APPENDIX. 

Mr.  Newhouse  is  a  native  of  Brattleboro,  Vt.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather  was  an  English  soldier,  who,  having  been 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Americans  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
afterwards  adopted  this  country  as  his  home.  From  Brattle- 
boro the  parents  of  Mr.  Newhouse  removed  during  his  in- 
fancy to  Colerain,  Mass. ;  and  in  1820,  when  he  was  fourteen 
years  old,  the  family  emigrated  to  Oneida  County,  N.  Y. 
This  central  part  of  the  State  of  New  York,  if  not  then  an 
actually  new  country,  retained  some  of  the  features  of  a  fron- 
tier settlement.  The  Erie  Canal,  though  it  was  building,  was 
not  finished  till  several  years  later;  and  travel  was  mainly 
accomplished  by  means  of  stage-coaches,  which  at  some  sea- 
sons plowed  their  toilsome  way  through  seas  of  mud.  The 
large  kinds  of  game,  as  deer,  bears  and  wolves,  were  not  ex- 
tinct in  the  great  forest  basin  of  Oneida  Lake.  Fur-bearing 
animals  and  salmon  abounded  in  the  streams  ;  and  a  remnant 
of  the  Iroquois  Indians,  several  thousand  in  number,  inhabit- 
ing reserved  lands  in  this  and  the  neighboring  counties,  with 
their  bow-and-arrow  proclivities,  gave  a  somewhat  primitive 
cast  to  the  population. 

With  a  stout  constitution  and  a  taste  for  field-sports,  drawn 
perhaps  from  his  English  forefathers,  Mr.  Newhouse  found 
his  youth  not  inaptly  placed  in  such  a  region.  While  mak- 
ing the  usual  school  attainments  in  education,  and  rendering 
his  share  of  assistance  on  the  family  farm,  he  also  became 
known  as  a  successful  woodsman,  wise  in  the  ways  of  all 
sorts  of  game,  from  wild  geese  to  honey-bees,  and  from  bull- 
pouts  to  bears.  The  instinct  of  a  successful  hunter  or  trap- 
per amounts  almost  to  a  sixth  sense  ;  and  this  inevitable  track- 
ing faculty  which  enables  one  man  to  detect  the  signs  of 
game  and  to  seize  the  strategic  point  for  its  capture,  which 
to  another  are  quite  unintelligible,  was  strong  in  young  New- 
house.  It  is  unsafe  for  a  pigeon  to  alight,  or  for  a  muskrat 
to  make  an  audible  plunge,  within  three  miles  of  such  a  boy. 
Vulpine  cunning  may  suffice  to  elude  the  common  range  of 
observation,  but  it  is  no  match  for  the  awakened  sharpness  of 
the  practiced  woodsman. 

The  need  of  a  trapper  in  a  new  country  is  not  piano-fortes, 


HISTORY   OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP.  209 

or  cartes  de  visite,  but  traps.  At  seventeen,  Mr.  Newhouse 
felt  this  need,  and  in  the  absence  of  other  means  of  obtaining 
a  supply,  he  set  to  work  to  make  them.  The  iron  parts  of 
fifty  or  more  were  somewhat  rudely  fashioned  in  a  black- 
smith's shop,  and  for  the  steel  springs  the  worn-out  blades 
of  old  axes  were  made  to  serve  as  material.  A  mechanic 
of  chance  acquaintance  showed  the  young  artisan  how  to  tem- 
per the  springs.  The  traps  thus  extemporized  proved,  on  the 
whole,  a  success  ;  for  they  would  catch,  and  what  they  caught 
they  held.  After  the  season's  use,  they  were  sold  to  neigh- 
boring Indians  for  sixty-two  cents  apiece,  and  the  making  of  a 
new  supply  was  entered  upon.  These  in  turn  were  sold  and 
replaced,  and  thus  the  manufacture  of  "  Newhouse  Traps  " 
was  launched. 

During  the  next  twenty  years  Mr.  Newhouse  worked  at 
trap-making,  sometimes  alone  and  sometimes  with  a  partner  or 
with  hired  help.  The  extent  of  his  manufacture  was  from 
one  to  two  thousand  traps  per  year,  which  supplied  the  local 
demand,  and  procured  for  him  a  reputation  for  skill  in  what- 
ever pertained  to  wood-craft.  During  this  period  he  also  en- 
gaged to  some  extent  in  rifle-making ;  and  his  amateur  pro- 
ductions in  this  line,  being  noted  for  their  shooting  qualities, 
were  considerably  sought  after.  The  working  season  was 
generally  varied  by  a  trapping  excursion  to  the  "  Brown 
Tract "  or  to  Oneida  Lake,  which  improved  his  practical  in- 
sight into  the  details  of  trapology,  and  also  gave  the  slightly 
woody  flavor  to  the  man  that  is  observable  in  his  taste  and 
ways.  At  certain  seasons  he  is  still  subject  to  a  periodical  per- 
turbation, tending  towards  the  North  Woods,  which,  though 
now  but  seldom  indulged,  is  a  sure  sign  that  he  has  some  time 
been  a  liege  follower  of  one  of  the  three  ancient  Rods. 

O 

There  are  allusions  made  by  the  neighbors  to  feats  of 
strength  in  wrestling,  running,  &c.,  formerly  performed  by 
Mr.  Newhouse.  Such  is  the  traditional  anecdote  of  a  thor- 
ough taming  given  by  him  to  one  or  two  big  Indians  who, 
in  a  state  of  drunken  pugnacity,  forced  a  quarrel  upon  him 
in  the  street.  But,  not  having  verified  these  stories,  and  Mr. 
Newhouse  being  himself  reticent  on  such  subjects,  they  may 
14 


210  APPENDIX. 

better  be  left  to  the  keeping  of  that  hazy  kind  of  romance 
which  time  gathers  about  the  exploits  of  the  Robin  Hoods,  Davy 
Crocketts,  and  other  backwoodsmen  of  history.  We  may  say 
that,  while  clearly  the  possessor  of  much  muscular  power 
and  dexterity  to  be  used  in  an  emergency,  Mr.  Newhouse  is 
a  man  of  gentle  disposition,  and  is  regarded  by  the  remaining 
red  men  of  his  vicinity  as  their  true  friend. 

The  characteristics  which  Mr.  Newhouse  possesses  as  a 
mechanic  are  a  critical  eye,  sound  judgment  of  material  rela- 
tions, nicety  of  hand,  and  a  conscientious  attention  to  the 
minutice  of  any  mechanism,  on  which  so  often  its  proper  work- 
ing depends.  As  a  trap-maker,  his  original  idea  was  to  make 
faultless  traps,  and  nothing  could  swerve  him  from  this  point. 
His  solicitude  has  been  that  they  should  catch  game,  whether 
they  caught  custom  or  not.  The  reputation  which  has  come 
to  him  on  this  basis,  has  made  it  seem  desirable  to  other  man- 
ufacturers, in  several  instances,  to  pirate  his  name  to  give 
currency  to  their  imitations  of  the  "  Newhouse  Traps."  But 
this  quality  of  particularity,  so  valuable  in  the  pursuit  of  ex- 
cellence, if  not  combined  with  other  talents  does  not  always 
lead  to  great  business  success  ;  and  the  Oneida  trap-maker 
would  perhaps  have  scarcely  risen  above  a  local  celebrity,  but 
for  the  introduction  of  him  and  his  business  to  a  new  element 
of  energy  and  enterprise  in  the  Oneida  Community. 

THE   COMMUNITY    "  NEWHOUSE    TRAP." 

The  Community  established  itself  at  Oneida,  about  two 
miles  from  the  residence  of  Mr.  Newhouse,  in  1848,  and  the 
next  summer  he  and  his  family  entered  it  as  members.  For 
several  years  after  this,  but  little  attention  was  paid  to  the 
trap  business.  A  few  dozens  were  made  occasionally  by  Mr. 
Newhouse  in  the  old  way  ;  but  it  was  not  until  1855,  under  a 
call  for  traps  from  Chicago  and  New  York,  that  practical  in- 
terest was  first  directed  to  this  branch  of  manufacture,  with 
a  view  to  its  extension,  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Noyes.  Arrangements 
were  then  made  for  carrying  on  the  business  in  a  shop  fifteen 
feet  by  twenty-five.  The  tools  consisted  of  a  common  forge 
*nd  bellows,  hand-punch,  swaging-mould,  anvil,  hammer,  and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP.  211 

file.  The  shop  so  established  employed  about  three  hands. 
The  next  year  it  was  removed  to  a  larger  room  in  a  building 
connected  with  water-power,  and  the  number  of  hands  was 
increased.  Among  them  were  Leonard  F.  Dunn,  George  W. 
Hamilton,  and  several  other  young  machinists,  who,  together 
with  Messrs.  Noyes  and  Newhouse,  exercised  their  inventive 
powers  in  devising  mechanical  appliances  to  take  the  place  of 
hand  labor  in  fashioning  the  different  parts  of  the  trap.  A 
power-punch  was  the  first  machine  introduced,  then  a  rolling 
apparatus  for  swaging  the  jaws.  Soon  it  was  found  that  mal- 
leable cast-iron  could  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  wrought-iron, 
in  several  parts  of  the  traps.  The  brunt  of  the  labor  ex- 
pended had  always  been  in  the  fabrication  of  the  steel  spring, 
and  this  was  still  executed  with  hammer  and  anvil  wholly  by 
hand.  Two  stalwart  men,  with  a  two-hand  sledge  and  a 
heavy  hammer,  reduced  the  steel  to  its  elementary  shape  by 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  blows,  and  it  was  afterward 
finished  by  a  long  series  of  lighter  manipulations.  The  at- 
tempt was  made  to  bring  this  part  of  the  work  within  the 
grasp  of  machinery.  One  by  one  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
were  overcome  by  the  ingenuity  of  our  machinists,  until  at 
length  the  whole  process  of  forming  the  spring,  from  its  con- 
dition as  a  steel  bar  to  that  of  the  bent,  bowed,  tempered,  and 
elastic  article  ready  for  use,  is  now  executed  by  machinery 
almost  without  the  blow  of  a  hammer.  The  addition  of  chain- 
making  (also  executed  mostly  by  machine  power)  makes  the 
manufacture  of  traps  and  their  attachments  complete. 

The  statistics  of  the  business  thus  extended  are  in  part  as 
follows :  Eight  sizes  of  traps  are  made,  for  the  different 
grades  of  animals,  from  the  house-rat  to  the  bear ;  which  have 
to  a  great  extent  superseded  the  use  and  importation  of  for- 
eign traps  in  this  country  and  Canada.  The  number  of  these 
made  at  the  Community  works  during  the  last  eight  years  is 
over  three  fourths  of  a  million.  The  number  of  hands  em- 
ployed directly  has  been,  in  the  busiest  seasons,  about  sixty, 
besides  twenty-five  or  thirty  who  have  found  employment  else- 
where in  supplying  the  iron  castings  for  traps.  The  amount 
of  American  iron  and  steel  used  is  over  300,000  pounds  an- 
nually. 


212  APPENDIX. 

We  may  add  that,  to  complete  their  arrangements  for  car- 
rying on  this  business  to  the  fullest  extent  of  the  possible  de- 
mand for  traps,  the  Community  have  built  recently  a  new 
manufacturing  establishment  on  a  water-power  about  a  mile 
from  their  former  works,  which  will  enable  them  to  more  than 
duplicate  their  production.  A  view  of  the  new  buildings  is 
given  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 

With  the  progress  of  improvement  in  their  process  of  man- 
ufacture, the  cost  and  price  of  traps  have  correspondingly  di- 
minished, so  that  now  the  western  pioneer  or  farmer's  boy 
can  equip  himself  with  traps  of  far  better  quality  than  the 
weak  and  clumsy  articles  in  former  use,  and  at  much  less 
price.  The  influence  of  these  little  utensils,  now  so  widely 
used,  on  the  progress  of  settlement,  civilization  and  comfort, 
will  occur  to  every  observer.  The  first  invaders  of  the  wil- 
derness must  have  other  resources  for  immediate  support  than 
are  offered  by  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  These  are  present 
in  the  valuable  peltries  of  fur-bearing  animals  which  are  the 
occupants  of  the  soil  in  advance  of  man.  Hence  the  trap  for 
securing  them,  going  before  the  axe  and  the  plow,  forms  the 
prow  with  which  iron-clad  civilization  is  pushing  back  bar- 
baric solitude ;  causing  the  bear  and  beaver  to  give  place  to 
the  wheat-field,  the  library,  and  the  piano.  Wisconsin  might, 
not  inappropriately,  adopt  the  steel-trap  into  her  coat-of-arms ; 
and  those  other  rising  empires  of  the  West  —  Kansas,  Colorado, 
Nevada,  and  golden  Idaho  —  have  been  in  their  germ  and  in- 
fancy suckled,  not  like  juvenile  Rome  by  a  wolf,  but  by  what 
future  story  will  call  the  noted  wolf-catcher  of  their  times,  — 
the  Oneida  Community  "  Newhouse  Trap." 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP. 


THERE  are  eight  different  sizes  of  the  Newhouse  Trap,  adapted 
to  the  capture  of  all  kinds  of  animals,  from  the  house  rat  to  the 
grizzly  bear. 


No.O. 


The  smallest  size  having  but  recently  been  introduced  into 
the  series,  is  designated  as  No.  0,  and  is  called  the  RAT  TRAP. 
It  has  a  single  spring,  and  the  jaws  spread,  when  set,  three 
inches  and  a  half.  It  is  designed  for  the  house  rat,  but  is 
strong  enough  to  hold  the  muskrat. 


No.l. 


No.  1  is  called  the  MUSKRAT  TRAP.  It  has  one  spring,  and 
the.  jaws  spread  four  inches.  It  is  adapted  to  the  capture  of  the 
mink,  marten,  and  all  the  smaller  fur-bearing  animals. 


No. 


No.  1^  (also  recently  introduced),  is  called  the  MINK  TRAP. 
It  has  but  one  spring ;  and  the  jaws  spread  four  inches  and 
seven-eighths.  It  is  strong  enough  for  the  fox  or  fisher. 


No.  2. 


No.  2  is  called  the  Fox  TRAP.    It  has  two  springs,  and  the 
jaws  spread  four  inches  and  seven-eighths.    It  is  strong  enough 


214 


APPENDIX. 


for  the  fisher  or  even  the  otter.  Trappers  sometimes  have  or- 
dered this  size  with  single  instead  of  double  springs.  No.  1^  is 
intended  to  meet  such  demands. 


No  3. 


No.  3  is  called  the  OTTER  TRAP.  The  jaws  spread  five  inches 
and  a  half.  It  will  hold  any  of  the  medium-sized  animals,  such 
as  the  beaver,  the  badger,  the  raccoon,  the  opossum  and  the 
wild-cat 


No.  4. 


No.  4  is  called  the  BEAVER  TRAP.  The  jaws  spread  six 
inches  and  a  half.  It  is  adapted  to  the  wolf  or  the  lynx. — 
Extra  sets  of  jaws  with  teeth  constructed  expressly  for  taking 
deer,  are  made  to  fit  this  trap,  and  can  be  had  separately,  or 
may  be  inserted  in  the  place  of  the  ordinary  jaws. 


No.  5  is  called  the  SMALL  BEAR  TRAP.  The  jaws  spread 
eleven  inches  and  three-fourths.  The  weight  of  each  spring 
is  two  pounds  and  ten  ounces,  and  the  weight  of  the  whole 
trap  is  seventeen  pounds.  It  is  adapted  to  the  common  black 
bear,  the  panther,  and  most  of  the  large  animals  found  this 
side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

All  these  traps  are  furnished  with  swivels,  and  if  desired, 
with  chains. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEWHOUSE  TRAP. 
THE  GREAT  BEAR  TAMER! 


215 


No.  6  is  called  tho 
GREAT  BEAR  TRAP. 
The  jaws  spread  sixteen 
inches.  The  weight  of 
each  spring  is  six  Ibs.; 
weight  of  the  trap,  with 
chain,  forty  -  two  Ihs. 
This  is  the  trap  for  the 
Moose  and  the  Grizzly 
Bear.  Its  tremendous 
power  of  taming  wild 
beasts  is  already  known 
in  the  mountains  of  Cal- 
ifornia; but  it  ought  to 
be  known,  and  we  trust 
it  will  be,  ere  long,  in 
all  parts  of  the  world. 
Its  use  need  not  be  con- 
fined to  the  capture  of 
animals  for  their  rare. 
In  the  interest  of  civil- 
ization, it  ought  to  go 
wherever  ferocious  ani- 
mals exclude  man  from 
the  soil.  India,  in  all 
her  jungles,  needs  it  to 
exterminate  the  Tiger. 
Africa  needs  it  in  her 
long  battle  with  tho 
Lion.  South  America 
needs  it  for  grappling 
with  the  Jaguar  and  the 
Boa  Constrictor.  There 
is  not  an  animal  living 
that  can  defy  it,  unless 
it  is  the  Elephant,  whose 
foot  may  be  too  large 
for  it ;  and  even  tho 
Elephant,  taken  by  the 
trunk,  would  have  to 
succumb.  It  is  safer, 
and  far  more  sure  and 
effectual  than  fire-arms 
in  encounters  with  any 
of  these  monsters;  and 
onght  to  be  put  in  the 
very  front  of  the  battle 
of  man  against  the  sav- 
ages of  the  forest  and 
the  desert. 


CONCLUSION. 


A  LEABITER  of  any  art  requires  good  rules,  good  examples, 
good  tools  to  work  with,  and  good  practice.  Our  task  has  heen 
to  furnish  the  first  three  of  these  requisites  for  mastering  the 
art  of  Trapping  In  the  first  part  of  this  book  Mr.  Newhouse 
gives  good  rules.  In  the  Narratives  the  learner  will  find  good 
examples.  In  the  Appendix  we  show  him  where  he  may  find 
good  tools.  The  good  practice  must  be  the  work  of  his  own 
genius  and  resolution. 


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